FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

The Istanbul 14^th High Criminal Court banned the "Democratic Initiative" newspaper. The court claimed that the newspaper "lauded the PKK organization" in a news article about the funeral of Aliye Timur, member of the militant Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), entitled "Buried on Bayram". ('Bayram' is the religious holiday at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.)

The court stopped the publishing of the newspaper for a period of 1 month on 22 September 2009 in accordance with the Anti-Terror Law (TMY) article 6/last paragraph, claiming criminal content of news in the 29^th issue.

After Günlük also "Democratic Initiative" banned

President judge Yakup Hakan Günay said that an investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office has been initiated about the newspaper's owner and responsible editor in charge Ziya Çiçekçi. Applying Press Law article 25/2 he decided to confiscate the newspaper's issues.

It is claimed in the decision that propaganda for the PKK was made by including the praise of a PKK member and of the organization in a news article.

Also Günlük newspaper was banned for 1 month because of articles and news in the issue dated 26 August 2009. The Günlük newspaper staff continued publishing when they founded the "Democratic Initiative" newspaper the very next day. The name of the newspaper was chosen in style of the government's "democratic initiative" process which is discussed widely and highly controversially in the current Turkish media agenda.

The Istanbul 13^th High Criminal Court banned Günlük newspaper for 1 month because of alleged "PKK proganda" in some news and articles written by Prof. Dr. Amir Hassanpour from the Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations Department of Toronto University.

After less than a month the newspaper, now with Eren Keskin as the general publication director, has encountered the same situation.

The start of the newspaper was launched on 26 August. After continuous censorship during the last three years this was the 31^st newspaper emerging out of the latest publication ban. (EÖ/VK)