Newsletter Newsletters Events Events Podcasts Videos Africanews
Loader
Advertisement

Nine writers on trial in Turkey accused of supporting Kurdish militants

Nine writers on trial in Turkey accused of supporting Kurdish militants
Copyright 
By Seamus Kearney
Published on
Share this article Comments
Share this article Close Button
Copy/paste the article video embed link below: Copy to clipboard Copied

Novelist Asli Erdogan - who is not related to the country's president - is among those on trial

ADVERTISEMENT

Nine journalists and writers have gone on trial in Istanbul charged with supporting outlawed Kurdish rebels.

Supporters of the accused gathered outside the court and also condemned the arrest of another veteran writer, Ahmet Sik.

Gokhan Durmus, President of Turkish Union of Journalists, told reporters:
“Today, once again, journalism will be on trial. We received the news of yet another journalist friend being taken into custody as we came here in solidarity to help our friends to be free.

“The status of press freedom and freedom of speech has severe problems in Turkey. We have over 100 journalist friends in prison, colleagues of ours.”

Novelist Asli Erdogan – who is not related to the country’s president – is among those on trial.

She and eight other writers were arrested in August, as part of a raid against the now closed down pro-Kurdish Ozgur Gundem newspaper.

They deny claims of being members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party and threatening Turkey’s unity.

Go to accessibility shortcuts
Share this article Comments

Read more

Istanbul police seize jewels and antiques worth €26mn in raid at Grand Bazaar

Fire at cold storage facility spreads to warehouse in Turkey’s Antalya

Turkish transport minister fined after posting video of himself speeding