Vienna, 12/09/2016
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) expressed growing concern after the recent arrests of journalists in Turkey.
On Saturday 10 September, journalist Ahmet Altan and his brother, academic and professor Mehmet Altan were detained by members of the Istanbul anti-terror police. The arrests, allegedly coming in lieu of investigations into the failed coup, which have been conducted since 15 July. Ahmet Altan and his brother are said to have been scrutinized because of comments they made on the eve of the coup, on a talk show on the Can Erzincan TV channel.
“We call on authorities in Turkey to immediately release Ahmet and Mehmet Altan. It is despicable to detain individuals solely based on their opinions expressed publically. Freedom of speech has reached a new low in Turkey, and we must stand up against this mounting pressure and censorship journalists in the country are facing” SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic stated this morning.
SEEMO is a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in South, East and Central Europe and its press freedom work is supported by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) project, as part of a grant by the European Commission.