During an advocacy visit to Istanbul on June 8, IPI Turkey Advocacy Coordinator Caroline Stockford met with five parties contesting Turkey’s June 24 election, urging them to prioritize media freedom in their party platforms. Stockford delivered a letter from IPI Executive Director Barbara Trionfi calling on the parties to commit to the following actions should they form part of the government:
– Free all journalists imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of expression and drop all charges against them
– Promote freedom of the press, independent journalism and respect for the rule of law
– Restore the impartiality of the judiciary
– Take steps to repeal or reform in line with international standards laws that are currently being abused to prosecute and jail journalists, especially Turkey’s anti-terror and defamation laws
– Work to end economic pressure on independent media outlets through the manipulation of the public and private advertising markets as well as legal and tax harassment