Turkey
Erdogan is against constitutional court judges
Three months, two renowned critical journalists, were killed in Turkey in custody. Then the Constitution intervened in a court. President Erdogan said that he had “no respect”.
“I say it very clearly: I have no respect for this decision,” said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the decision of the Supreme judges of his country. And he made it clear that he would not accept it. After all, he had personally provided a criminal complaint against the two journalists, which had now been released.
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The constitutional court had judged on Thursday the detention of the editor-in-chief of the government-critical newspaper “Cumhuriyet”, Can Dündar, and his Director’s Office in Ankara, Erdem Gül, as unlawful. Your right to freedom of expression and personality rights had been violated.
The two press people had been taken by the end of November under the accusation, to have in an article of state secrets. The reason, reports the newspaper about weapons supplies to the Turkish secret service to Islamist rebels in Syria. The publications had nothing to do with freedom of speech and freedom of the press, rather it is a case of “espionage,” said Erdogan. In his opinion there could be “no freedom of the media.” Something there is, finally, nowhere in the world.
Regardless of the decision of the constitutional court, the proceedings against the journalists continues, among other things, of espionage and secret treason. Dündar and Gül, life-long imprisonment. The process is to on 25. March begin.
Editor-in-chief Can Dündar rejoices after his release
Dündar showed after his release, however, optimistic. “In my opinion, has not prompted the constitutional court, only our release, but an acquittal is pronounced,” he said of the newspaper “The world”. Dündar criticized the passivity of the European Union on the subject of human rights in Turkey. To the solution of the refugee crisis in cooperation with the Turkish government was “to some degree” acceptable. “I would hope that European politicians can not stop to find publicly clear words on the subject of human rights and freedom of the press,” he said.
The state President Erdogan Dündar accused, “to create an atmosphere of hatred” in Turkey. “Once it hits journalists, scientists, opposition politicians.”
In the ranking of press freedom by “reporters without borders” is the Turkey on place 149 out of 180 countries. Especially local journalists have always been under pressure.
SC/wl (dpa, afp, rtr)