OSCE urges Turkey to respect freedom of press

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) has urged Turkey to respect the freedom of press following the detention of two British journalists in the southeast of the country.

“The accusations that these journalists face are extremely grave and can threaten their safety,” said OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović on Monday.

She added, “I trust that the authorities will do their utmost to ensure that the investigation is carried out in a transparent and swift manner, so that these journalists can resume their important work as soon as possible.”

The OSCE’s call came four days after Turkish security forces arrested Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury in Diyarbakir Province. The British reporters, both working for international channel VICE News, had been in the restive area to cover the latest developments regarding the ongoing conflict between Turkish forces and Kurdish militants.

Turkish authorities also inspected the reporters’ hotel rooms and confiscated some of their belongings. The translator and the fixer of the journalists were also detained.

Ankara said the reportage crew members were filming without the government’s permit, accusing them of supporting the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.

Meanwhile, VICE News announced that its arrested staff will stand trial on August 31 over “unsubstantiated charges of terrorism.”

“VICE News continues to work vigorously with all relevant authorities to secure the safe release of our colleagues,” a spokesperson for the channel said.

A number of prominent rights groups, including Amnesty International, PEN International, and the Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) also urged Turkey to secure the immediate release of the journalists and their colleagues.

“It is completely proper that that journalists should cover this important story. The decision to detain the journalists was wrong, while the allegation of assisting Islamic state is unsubstantiated, outrageous and bizarre,” said Andrew Gardner, Amnesty International’s Turkey Researcher.

“This is yet another example of the Turkish authorities suppressing the reporting of stories that are embarrassing to them. They should release the journalists immediately,” he said.

Opposition parties and rights groups are sharply critical of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for stifling the freedom of speech.

There has been renewed conflict between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Turkish security forces since July in the country’s southeast. Turkey has been launching airstrikes against purported Daesh targets in Syria as well as PKK positions in Iraq after a bomb attack, attributed to Daesh, left 32 people dead in the southeastern Turkish town of Suruc on July 20.

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