Translated material
The Russian Foreign Ministry accused Turkey of putting pressure on the press
The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded that the Council of Europe and the OSCE study the situation with freedom of speech in Turkey. This is stated in the statement of the official representative of the department, Maria Zakharova.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that the activities of the media in Turkey turned out to be difficult, and the situation with freedom of speech is "critically complicated."
Zakharova recalled the arrest of two journalists from the Cumhuriyet newspaper after publishing about the ties between the Turkish military and the Islamic State (the organization was recognized as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia).
In addition, the Foreign Ministry expressed concern about the pressure on the opposition newspaper Zaman.
“In Turkey itself, there is not only a suppression of freedom of the press in order to cover up assistance to terrorists, but also a disregard for the judiciary. Another example of March 4 is the persecution of the Feza holding and the Zaman newspaper, which allowed only judgments that differ from strictly official ones, ”the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
- On March 4, the court assigned external administration to the newspaper Zaman, searches were carried out in the editorial office of the publication. A spontaneous protest in support of journalists was dispersed by police with tear gas and water cannons.
- Zaman is one of the largest Turkish newspapers with a circulation of over half a million.
- The arrested Cumhuriyet journalists were released on February 26.
- The European Union has already called on Turkey to respect high democratic standards, including freedom of the media.