VP/HR — Measures to secure the immediate release of the Turkish journalists Can Dundar and Erdem Gül
| 1 February 2016 |
|
|
| Question for written answer to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative) Rule 130 Notis Marias (ECR) |
||
On 27 January 2016, the Turkish public prosecution service informed journalists Can Dundar and Erdem Gül, who have already been detained for 65 days, that they were accused of ‘gathering secret state documents for the purposes of political and military espionage’, ‘attempting to topple the government of the Republic of Turkey or attempting to stop the government from fulfilling its duties’ and ‘deliberate support for a terrorist organisation’, charges which carry life sentences.
The charges stem from a report published by Can Dundar in the Turkish Cumhuriyet mass circulation daily newspaper, of which the Ankara office is run by Erdem Gül, containing evidence that a consignment of arms belonging to the Turkish secret services that were seized at Turkish-Syrian border in January 2014 were on their way to Islamist groups in Syria.
The imposition of such sentences, normally sought for the perpetrators of violent crimes, will undoubtedly undermine press freedom and freedom of expression in Turkey, aggravating an already unacceptable situation.
In view of this:
What measures does the High Representative intend to take to secure the immediate release of the journalists Can Dundar and Erdem Gül?
Source: European Parliament
| Answer given by High Representative/Vice-President Mogherini | |
| The Commission has expressed on several occasions serious concern regarding violations of freedom of expression in Turkey. In the 2015 EU Enlargement Strategy Report on Turkey, the EU highlighted the backsliding regarding respect for freedom of expression and called on Turkey to act, as a matter of priority, against intimidation of journalists in all its forms. The European Council of 17‐ 18 March 2016 reiterated that it expects Turkey to respect the highest standards when it comes to democracy, rule of law, and respect for fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression. It was also a subject for discussion at the High Level Political Dialogue of 25 January, which elaborated on the framework to re-energise EU — Turkey relations, without prejudice to the positions of Member States, as set out in the European Council Conclusions of October 2015 and the EU-Turkey Statement following the meeting of Heads of State or Government of the EU with Turkey in 29 November 2015. Turkey can accelerate the pace of negotiations by advancing in the fulfilment of the benchmarks, meeting the requirements of the negotiating framework and by respecting its contractual obligations towards the EU
The Commission closely monitors the ongoing case relating to the journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, who were recently freed after being detained for 92 days, following a decision by Turkey’s Constitutional Court. The Court ruled that their arrest had been against the Constitution as it was in violation of their individual rights as well as freedom of expression rights. On 6 May, the two journalists were sentenced to 5 years and 10 months imprisonment (Dündar) and 5 years imprisonment (Gül) for revealing state secrets. The EU Delegation in Ankara closely follows case related developments on the ground, including by attending the opening hearing of the trial together with the missions of several EU Member States. The EU has repeatedly stressed that Turkey, as a candidate country, needs to respect and promote high democratic standards and practices, including freedom of the media. |
Recent Comments