Executive board chairman of the Journalists Association of Turkey (TGC) Ercan Ipekci has spoken out on the state of the national media criticizing it for an inability to resist censorship in the 21st century despite the success achieved in 1908 against the censorship of the oppressive Abdulhamit regime.

Ipekci's remarks coincide with events this week marking the 98th anniversary of the "lifting of censorship" in Turkey with newspapers no longer having to submit pre-print copies for inspection before letting the print roll.

The TGC chairman said that rather than live up to contemporary expectations, the national media had fallen under the yoke of censorship and auto-censorship stemming from the pressure, blackmail and threats leveled against it.

He said the government had failed to keep any of its promises on democratization, freedom of press and expression as well as their continuation of union rights and that under the circumstances, they had no remaining expectations from the regime.

"We have to say with shame on the 98th anniversary of resisting censorship" Ipekci said, "that the Turkish press has fallen under the yoke of censorship and auto-censorship stemming from pressure, blackmail and threats coming from bosses, the political administration and various centers of power."

According to Ipekci:

* The Turkish press, unfortunately, is not the pioneer of the struggle for democracy but has fallen under the yoke of bosses who are spokesmen for the exploitation of the masses by capitalism.

* Media owvers and high level media administrators who are their advisors see seizing the rights of press laborers and developing methods to prevent them from free news reporting as their only field of struggle.

* Media owners and administrators never refrain from adjusting their publication line according to the will of the political administration and hiding the truth from the people.

* The Turkish media has unfortunately hidden the heavy sanctions brought on the freedom of expression and press by the new Turkish Penal Code and the Anti-Terror Law (TMY) from the people. (KO/TK/II/YE)