Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
OSCE Media Freedom Representative raises concern and calls to end blocking of Bianet and other social media and news sites in Turkey
Publishing date: 6 August 2019
VIENNA, 6 August 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, expressed his deep concern today regarding the court ruling that blocked access to 136 news sites and social media accounts in Turkey, following a request made by the Gendarmerie General Command...
Following seven convictions for Hrant Dink murder, OSCE Representative calls on Turkish authorities to identify all involved including masterminds
Publishing date: 19 July 2019
VIENNA, 19 July 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomed today the court decision in Turkey handing down prison sentences to seven people over the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative welcomes acquittal of Turkish journalists Erol Önderoğlu, Ahmet Nesin and human rights defender Şebnem Korur Fincancı
Publishing date: 17 July 2019
VIENNA, 17 July 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, welcomed today’s court decision to acquit two journalists and a human rights defender in Turkey...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative calls on Turkey to end criminal prosecution of journalists, following latest conviction of a journalist to 6 years and 3 months in prison
Publishing date: 21 June 2019
VIENNA, 21 June 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his concern about the verdict of the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court, which sentenced journalist Haşim Söylemez on charges of ‘aiding a terrorist organization without being a member’, to 6 years and 3 months in prison.
Concluding official visit to Turkey, OSCE Media Freedom Representative calls on authorities to urgently reverse the course of media freedom violations
Publishing date: 14 June 2019
ISTANBUL, 14 June 2019- Concluding his four-day official visit to Turkey, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today called on the Turkish authorities to urgently address and reverse current media freedom violations and pressure that journalists face.
OSCE Media Freedom Representative strongly condemns shooting of journalist Hakan Denizli, expresses alarm about dire safety conditions in Turkey
Publishing date: 25 May 2019
VIENNA, 25 May 2019 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today strongly denounced the shooting of journalist Hakan Denizli in Turkey. Denizli, founder of the local daily Egemen, was shot in the leg after two persons opened fire while he was leaving his home in Adana.
OSCE Media Freedom Representative deplores physical attacks on journalists in Turkey, urges authorities to swiftly bring all responsible to justice
Publishing date: 16 May 2019
VIENNA, 16 May 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, strongly condemned today the physical attacks against journalists that took place in Turkey over the past week...
OSCE Media Freedom Representative appalled by return to prison of former Cumhuriyet journalists in Turkey, calls for their immediate release
Publishing date: 26 April 2019
VIENNA, 26 April 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today called for the release of the former journalists of the newspaper Cumhuriyet, after they were returned to prison yesterday.
Sentencing journalists to prison greatly damages media freedom in Turkey, says OSCE Media Freedom Representative following Özgür Gündem trial
Publishing date: 3 April 2019
VIENNA, 3 April 2019 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Harlem Désir, today expressed his disappointment over the court verdicts handed down today to a number of journalists and writers in the Özgür Gündem trial in Turkey...
Cumhuriyet trial convictions a terrible setback for Turkey, says OSCE Media Freedom Representative, calls for end to criminalization of journalism
Publishing date: 19 February 2019
VIENNA, 19 February 2019 – Yesterday’s decision to uphold convictions and severe sentences handed down to dozens of Cumhuriyet journalists is a terrible setback and detrimental to Turkey’s commitments to free speech and independent media, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir said today...