H. E. Tansu Ciller
Prime Minister of Turkey
Prime Minister’s Office
Ankara
Turkey

Vienna, 16 February 1995

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), representing publishers, editors-in-chief and leading journalists from newspapers, magazines, broadcasting organisations and news agencies in 89 countries, is most concerned about the latest developments in the Turkish authorities’ continued campaign of harassment against the Istanbul-based daily newspaper Özgür Ülke.

We are informed that in this latest incident, the police raided the offices of the newspaper and informed editors that, according to court decisions on 2 February and, again, on 3 February declaring it a “banned publication,” copies of the newspaper would be confiscated and that Özgür Ülke would not be allowed to continue publishing.

This is just one more of a series of attacks by your government on freedom of the press in Turkey. We would like to remind you of recent promises made by yourself and by your government to lift curbs on freedom of the press, once article 14 of the constitution is revised.

Therefore, we urge you to use your utmost influence to see that this ban on Özgür Ülke be lifted, that the newspaper be allowed to publish without further interference, and to honour your pledge to revise such harsh legislation.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director