The World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), has called on the Turkish government to stop jailing journalists and to guarantee freedom of the press in Turkey, which imprisons more journalists than any country in the world.
"WAN-IFRA is deeply disturbed by recent court decisions that have seen news coverage and commentary conflated with terrorism," said a resolution issued by the Executive Committee of WAN-IFRA during its meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, on 2 December. "Heavy jail sentences meted out to journalists appear designed to discourage investigative reporting and are promoting a culture of self-censorship."
The resolution calls for the immediate release of all journalists held in Turkish jails and calls on Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to guarantee freedom of the press in Turkey and to ensure the necessary conditions for journalists to be able to carry out their work without hindrance, intimidation, or interference from the state.
