Turkey Ranks in Top 3 For Violence Against Journalists

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) released its 2014 Round Up of Abuses Against Journalists, stating that 66 journalists were killed this year and kidnapping of journalists took a rise worldwide. 

The organization based in Paris listed the dead journalists according to countries as follows: Syria (15), Palestine (7), Ukraine (6), Iraq (4), Libya (4), and rest of the world (30).   

Turkey no longer “the biggest prison”

Worldwide, a total of 178 professional journalists were in prison in connection with their work on 8 December 2014 and, coincidentally, exactly the same number of citizen-journalists were also in prison that day. Releasing around 40 journalists this year, Turkey is no longer “the biggest prison” for journalists, leaving its place to China, Eritrea, Iran, Egypt and Syria. 

New record: Violence against journalists 

Turkey’s new record, on the hand, was on the number of assaulted journalists. “In Turkey, the failure to punish police violence during the 2013 Gezi Park protests just encouraged more police abuses a year later, with journalists paying a high price when police responded to demonstrations with disproportionate force,” RSF said. 

From being journalist to refugee

While 79 media representatives were forced to flee their home countries in 2013, RSF said the number of applications they received this year turned out to be 139. (EÖ/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish. 

* Click here to read the report in English.