The International Press Institute (IPI) is concerned by reports that two journalists working for the Renge Heviya Jine magazine in Turkey have been taken into custody for articles they wrote. On 5 December, authorities arrested the former editor-in-chief of the magazine, Berivan Eker, as she was on her way to a meeting with her lawyer.

According to information from IPI’s National Committee in Turkey, Eker was under investigation for “spreading propaganda for an illegal organization” and, based on two articles she wrote in June and July of this year, on separate charges of “committing a crime on behalf of an illegal organization”. The investigations were later merged.

According to the recently-founded Freedom for Journalists Platform (FJP), of which IPI’s Turkish National Committee is a member, the magazine’s former editor-in-chief, Gurbet Çakar, had earlier been arrested by the Public Prosecution of Diyarbakır, a Kurdish-majority province in south-eastern Turkey. The prosecutor is demanding a prison term of up to 20 years for Çakar on charges of “spreading propaganda for an illegal organization via the media” and “membership of the PKK”. Her trial, which is scheduled for 30 December, will be attended by representatives from the FJP.

Renge Heviya Jine is the only magazine for women in Turkey publishing in both Kurdish and Turkish. The first editor-in-chief of the magazine, Sultan Sonsuz, has been indicted under charges of “propaganda” in five different cases. She has been sentenced to a year and three months in prison on one of the charges, and faces a maximum of 20 years if found guilty on the others. Her successor, Ruken Aktas, faces three years and nine months in prison. Aktas’ successor, Sibel Esmer, was sentenced to one year and three months on propaganda charges. The sentence is under appeal.

Over 25 journalists are in prison in Turkey for their alleged affiliation with terrorist organizations, according to Bianet.

In June, IPI reported on the sentencing of journalist Irfan Akhtan, to a year and three months in prison, for an article he wrote in October 2009, and a fine of 16,000 Turkish Lira was imposed on Merve Erol, the editor of Express, the fortnightly magazine that published the article. The two journalists were found guilty of dispersing “propaganda relating to a terrorist organization,” under Article 7 of the Turkish anti-terror law.

In April, another IPI statement called attention to Vedat Kurşun, former editor of the Kurdish daily, Azadiya Welat who was sentenced by a Turkish court to three years in prison in connection with two articles deemed to have spread propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, PKK – which is considered a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the European Union, the United States and many other countries.
Kurşun had already served 13 months in jail while awaiting his trial, after being arrested in Istanbul in January 2009 as he arrived in the city to testify in another case.

In December 2009, A Turkish court sentenced Ozan Kilinc, the editor of a Kurdish newspaper to 21 years in prison for publishing what the court called Kurdish propaganda, only two weeks after the European Court of Human Rights ordered Turkey to pay over 40,000 Euros to 20 Turkish journalists as compensation for having violated their rights.

A list of journalists currently imprisoned in Turkey follows: (Source: Freedom to the Journalists Platform)  

Mustafa Balbay, journalist of Cumhuriyet Daily

Tuncay Özkan, journalist of Kanal Biz television

Hikmet Çiçek, journalist of Aydınlık Journal

Emcet Olcaytu, columnist of Aydınlık

Deniz Yıldırım, executive editor of Aydınlık Journal

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Haberal, journalist of Kanal B Television

Vedat Kurşun, former editor-in-chief of Azadiya Welat newspaper

Suzan Zengin, staff at Kartal Daily

Erol Zavar, owner and editor-in-chief of Odak Journal

Füsun Erdoğan, executive editor of Özgür Radyo

İbrahim Çiçek, executive editor of Atılım newspaper

Sedat Şenoğlu, executive coordinator of Atılım newspaper

Bayram Namaz , columnist of Atılım Daily

Ziya Ulusoy, columnist of Atılım Daily

Hasan Coşar, columnist of Atılım newspaper

Ahmet Birsin, executive coordinator of Diyarbakır Gün TV

Barış Açıkel, owner and editor-in-chief of İşçi-Köylü Daily

Hatice Duman, owner and editor-in-chief of Atılım Daily

Mahmut Tutal, staff at Gündem Daily ,

Mustafa Gök, journalist of Ekmek and Adalet Journal

Metin Bulut, owner and editor-in-chief of Yürüyüş Journal,

Bayram Parlak, journalist of Gündem newspaper

Şafak Gümüşsoy, former editor-in-chief of Mücadele Birliği Journal,

Gülşen Bozan, staff at Özgür Kadın Journal

İhsan Silmiş, staff at Azadiya Welat  Daily

Kenan Karavil, editor-in-chief, Radyo Dünya (Adana)

Şeyhmus Bilgin, staff at Günlük and Azadiya Welat Daily

Seyithan Akyüz, journalist of Azadiya Welat newspaper

Şahin Baydağı, newspaper distributor for Azadiya Welat,

Dilek Keskin, correspondent of Atılım Daily

Sabri Adanır, newspaper distributor for Gündem newspaper

Erdal Süsem, editor of Eylül Culture and Art Journal

Hatice Özhan, correspondent of DİHA Diyarbakır Daily

Gurbet Çakar, managing editor-in-chief of Rengê Hêvîya Jinê Journal (Kadının Umudunun Rengi-The Color of Women’s Hope),

Hamdiye Çiftçi, correspondent of Dicle Haber Ajansı (DİHA) Daily

Mahmut Güleycan, staff at Özgür Halk Journal

Ozan Kılınç, former editor-in-chief of Azadiya Welat,

Ali Konar, journalist of Azadiya Welat Daily

Nuri Yeşil, staff at Azadiya Welat Daily

Erdal Güler, owner and former editor-in-chief of Devrimci Demokrasi Daily

Ali Buluş, correspondent of DİHA Mersin

Mehmet Karaaslan, correspondent of DİHA Mersin

Faysal Tunç, correspondent of DİHA Şırnak

Behdin Tunç, correspondent of DİHA Şırnak

Bedri Adanır, owner and editor-in-chief of Aram Yayınları Daily and Kurdish Daily Hawar

Abdulbesir Yapıcı, staff at Azadiya Welat newspaper

Hakan Soytemiz, columnist of RED Journal

Özgür Aytukum, editor-in-chief of Demokratik Dönüşüm Journal,

Baha Okar, editor of Bilim and Gelecek Journal

H.B., staff at Özgür halk Journal