Turgay Olcayto

Turkish Journalist Association (TGC) President Turgay Olcayto has called on the ruling party and opposition parties “to remove the barriers to freedom of press and expression, free imprisoned journalists and stop treating journalism as a crime,” in his Jan. 10 “Working Journalists’ Day” message.

The head of the Turkish Association of Journalists (TGC) has stated that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's remarks describing jailed journalists in the country as "terrorists" were unacceptable and amounted to great injustice.

There are currently 171 Turkish journalists in jail in the country, according a report prepared by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) following a workshop last week.

Police detained the chief online editor of daily Cumhuriyet in Istanbul on May 12.

"I am being detained," Cumhuriyet.com.tr Editor-in-Chief Oğuz Güven tweeted just after 7 a.m.

State-run Anadolu Agency said Güven was detained over a report regarding the death of a chief public prosecutor in a car accident in the western province of Denizli.

Police detained the chief online editor of daily Cumhuriyet in Istanbul on May 12.

"I am being detained," Cumhuriyet.com.tr Editor-in-Chief Oğuz Güven tweeted just after 7 a.m.

State-run Anadolu Agency, however, said Güven was detained over a report regarding the death of a chief public prosecutor in a car accident in the western province of Denizli. 

International press organizations have called for the release of jailed journalists in Turkey in a meeting they held at the Turkish Journalists' Association's (TGC) headquarters in Istanbul's Çağlayan district. 

Veteran journalist Nail Güreli has died at the age of 84 on Oct. 26 in Istanbul, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported. 

Turgay Olcayto, the head of the Turkish Journalists' Association, which Güreli headed between 1994 and 2001, issued a statement expressing his condolences. 

A second attack on daily Hürriyet?s offices in Istanbul and Ankara on Sept. 8 has drawn reaction as national press bodies declared they stand by Hürriyet on press freedom. 

Turkish national press bodies and representatives of some Turkish dailies have paid a visit to the daily Hürriyet headquarters in Istanbul?s Ba?c?lar district, condemning the attacks.