Outlook for Turkish media is 'alarming' ahead of elections

The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) called on the Turkish government on May 31 ?to urgently recognize the importance of plural voices within the media and to provide the conditions for independent sources of information? as the country is just a week from critical June 7 elections.

The influential media organization made the call with an alarming note, reminding Turkish authorities that the ?diversity of the media is a prerequisite of a democratic society.? The call was made during the 67th World Media Congress meetings in Washington.

There are three particular issues mentioned in the call:

1) The release of the remaining journalists still imprisoned ?because of their professional activities.? 
?[Using] anti-terror legislation to jail journalists is a flagrant abuse of executive power,? the statement said.

2) The request of an Ankara prosecutor to the government-run Turkish Satellite Communications Company (TÜRKSAT) to deny the use of satellite infrastructure to critical media outlets ? a request particularly aimed at TV stations owned by the Zaman media group;

3) The criticism of President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an?s recent condemnation of leading publication daily Hürriyet after he accused it of conspiring to incite a coup d?état, because of a report about the death sentence given to Egypt?s elected but overthrown president, Mohamed Morsi.

A member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Parti) recently filed a complaint against the prominent editor-in-chief of Hürriyet, Sedat Ergin, for trying to promote terrorism. It was not convincing for even many AK Parti supporters, but hangs over the paper like a sword of Damocles.

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