The latest alert concerns the threat of arrest and imprisonment faced by 42 Turkish journalists in the wake of the recent failed coup attempt in Turkey. It was submitted by the European Federation of Journalists and International Federation of Journalists with the AEJ, Article 19, Index on Censorship and International Press Institute. All alerts published on the Platform are forwarded by the Council of Europe without delay to the government concerned and a response to the alleged violation of media freedom is requested.
The text of the Alert is as follows:- 42 journalists face arrests in clampdown following failed coup in TurkeyThe Turkish anti-terrorism Prosecutor Irfan Fidan has today issued arrest warrants for 42 journalists as part on the major clampdown in the wake of the failed coup against President Erdogan.
According to Anatolian News Agency, the journalists targeted are: Abdullah Abdulkadiroğlu, Abdullah Kılıç, Ahmet Dönmez, Ali Akkuş, Arda Akın, Nazlı Ilıcak, Bayram Kaya, Bilal Şahin, Bülent Ceyhan, Bülent Mumay, Bünyamin Köseli, Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Cevheri Güven, Cihan Acar, Cuma Ulus, Emre Soncan, Ercan Gün, Erkan Akkuş, Ertuğrul Erbaş, Fatih Akalan, Fatih Yağmur, Habip Güler, Hanım Büşra Erdal, Haşim Söylemez, Hüseyin Aydın, İbrahim Balta, Kamil Maman, Kerim Gün, Levent Kenez, Mahmut Hazar, Mehmet Gündem, Metin Yıkar, Muhammed Fatih Uğur, Mustafa Erkan Acar, Mürsel Genç, Selahattin Sevi, Seyid Kılıç, Turan Görüryılmaz, Ufuk Şanlı, Ufuk Emin Köroğlu, Yakup Sağlam and Yakup Çetin.
On his twitter account Bülent Mumay said that: “The only organisation that I’m a member of is [the] Turkish Journalists Association [TGC]. My only profession is journalism.”
Among those targeted by the warrants was prominent journalist and former parliamentarian Nazli Ilicak who was fired from the pro-government Sabah daily in 2013 for criticising ministers caught up in a corruption scandal, NTV and CNN-Turk reported.
Article on France 24 website “Turkey issues arrest warrants for 42 journalists, local media say”
The Council of Europe Secretary-General, Thorbjorn Jagland, issued a Statement about protecting democracy and human rights in Turkey after he received formal notification from the Turkish authorities that it was claiming a derogation from the European Convention on Human Rights following the abortive coup attempt.
