Turkey
Court orders newspaper closed for a monthPosted Sep 23 2009
On Aug. 22, an Istanbul court ordered Günlük newspaper, a pro-Kurdish daily, to close for one month. The reason for this decision is an article published on Aug. 8 the court considered to contain terrorist propaganda.
According to the International Press Institute (IPI), the article mentioned the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which the Turkish government, the EU and the United States consider a terrorist organization. The Public Prosecutors Office brought charges against the newspaper, stating that it violated a part of Turkeys Anti-Terror Law, which makes it a criminal offense to promote terrorist organizations.
In a statement to IPI, Ismail Boyraz, vice president of Turkeys Human Rights Association (IHD) said, The closure of the Günlük is aimed at making opponent groups voiceless.
Günlük was also closed for month following a June 8 court decision, according to IPIs Turkish National Committee.
While the suspension of the paper might come as a blow, the Günlük staff has decided to open a new paper called Demokratik Açilim, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
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