Press Council Meets President

President Abdullah Gül received Orhan Birgit, President of the Press Council, and members of the council's High Commission in his residence in Çankaya (Ankara) on Thursday (10 March). Topic of the meeting was the increasing number of prosecutions and arrests of journalists.

Subsequent to the meeting, Council President Birgit and the representatives who attended the talk announced the issues they forwarded to President Gül in a written statement.

According to the Anatolian News Agency, Birgit drew the President's attention to 68 journalists who are currently imprisoned as detainees or convicts because of their writings. "I want to emphasize our sensitiveness on revealing the concrete facts regarding our colleagues who are alleged of criminal offences and our susceptibility related to a fair and fast trial in respect of the rights to personal freedom and freedom of expression", Birgit said.

Press Council struggling for media freedom

The Press Council is active for a more liberate and decent media and a renowned non-governmental organization counselled by the United Nations, Birgit stated. "The Council has been working for 23 years. It has worked for widening freedom of communication (expression, press). It comprises an inspection mechanism with the aim to audit the appropriate use of the responsibilities stemming from this freedom", he claimed.

One percent of all journalists deprived of their freedom

Birgit underlined restrictions of press freedom in Turkey and argued that 68 journalists were in prison right now as detainees or convicts due to their writings. One percent of 7,569 journalists who are holding a yellow press card are in prison, Birgit pointed out. He indicated that Turkey ranged on 138^th position in the World Press Freedom index because of provisions in the Press Law, the Turkish Criminal Law and the Anti-Terror Law that are contrary to the standards required by freedom of communication.

Birgit made clear that the amendment of these laws is one of the prioritized demands of the Press Council. According to the Head of the Council, journalists are serving the public's right to be informed. Measures have to be taken regarding legal and administrative procedures against journalists that guarantee the protection of the public's right to be informed and prevent harm to freedom of communication, Birgit demanded. (EKN/EÖ/VK)