Bulletin E2-December 1976

International Institute for Religious Freedom

Human Rights Review, 2001

International Institute for Religious Freedom

Reporting human rights violations in Turkey, 2018

The media in Turkey is under fire. In a climate where democratic norms are being eroded and human rights are being weakened by the state, the role of journalists in tracking human rights violations is more important than ever. The Journalists Union of Turkey, as of 22 March 2018, reported 145 journalists and media workers have been jailed,1 the highest number world-wide, ahead of China and Egypt. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) stated that Turkey was the worst country for media freedom in 2016. Reporters Without Borders’ Freedom of Information report claims that Turkey is 155 out of 180 countries in the world rankings in 2017. A report prepared by the World Justice Project demonstrated that Turkey ranked 101st among 113 states2 in the Rule of Law Index. Turkey was ranked 107th for fundamental rights, including freedom of the press. This paper aims to show the extent of the media coverage of human rights violations based on a comparison of two periods, namely the period before the attempt of the coup d’état of 15 July 2016, and the period after. Even though Turkey’s human rights record was not at its best prior 15 July, it further declined after the declaration of the state of emergency on 20 July 2016. Human rights organisations and international organisations such as United Nations and the European Union reported brutal human rights violations as well as a significant decline in the freedom of the press in Turkey. During this period the numbers of journalists being arrested increased dramatically, and several newspapers, periodicals, TV channels, publishers were shut down. Self-censorship has increased in order to avoid being seen to support the attempt of coup d’état. Any media outlet or journalist targeted by Government circles and the pro-government press has been subject to sanctions. In addition, the effect that the lack of press freedom has had on journalists will be included in this report too.

pennlive.com, 2022

By Guest Editorial By Hafza Girdap "Human rights" refers to all the rights an individual has just by virtue of being human; regardless of their identities. International human rights rules urge states to guarantee

Human Rights Review, 2001