Vienna, 01/07/2016
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) welcomed the 1 July release of Ahmet Nesin, , arrested on charges of creating ‘terrorist propaganda’ on 20 June.
Nesin was arrested for his participation in a solidarity campaign for the pro-Kurdish newspaper Özgur Gundem. As part of the campaign, the journalist acted as editor-in-chief for one day. Academic Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Chair of Turkey’s Human Rights Foundation and Erol Önderoğlu, Reporters Without Borders representative in Turkey, also participated in the campaign. Both Fincancı and Önderoğlu were also arrested on 20 June on the same charges.
Also Hurriyet newspaper New York correspondent and member of the United Nations Correspondents Association Razi Canikligil was detained on 20 June upon his arrival at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport. He was questioned and released after several hours.
‘SEEMO was pleased to hear the news of these releases in Turkey. A prison sentence for journalistic work is not acceptable, and this is a positive sign, after a long while, and hopefully shows that Turkey is willing to make changes in regard to freedom of expression’, SEEMO Secretary General Oliver Vujovic said earlier today.
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.