Turkey: CFWIJ Welcomes The Release Ayşe Düzkan, After Six Months In Prison.
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: June 12, 2019Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The Coalition For Women In Journalism welcomes the release of Turkish writer and journalist Ayşe Düzkan.
After spending six months in jail, Ayşe was released on June 11, 2019. She was imprisoned under the accusation of assisting in propaganda for a terrorist organization on January 29, 2019. Our investigation with sources on the ground revealed that she was not involved in any activity that would validate these accusations. We, at CFWIJ, found that Ayşe had merely participated in a solidarity campaign with Kurdish media — Özgür Gündem newspaper — in 2016.
Özgür Gündem was shut down later in 2016, as part of Turkey’s emergency rule after the military coup attempt on July 15. At the first hearing of her trial, Ayşe said, “I symbolically became the editor-in-chief of Özgür Gündem for only a day in order to lend my support to the newspaper in the face of the pressure they faced at that time. I believe this is not a crime and I request to be released.”
The release was announced with a tweet from her daughter, Haziran Düzkan, that read: “Hello, my mother Ayşe Düzkan has been released and she is now resting in Istanbul. She doesn’t want to respond to her phone for some days, but she will be here in a short while. Thank you for your solidarity.” The release of our colleague is a remarkable step when it comes to freedom of speech in Turkey. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is hopeful that women journalists will continue to be released from prisons and appreciates this move by the state that encourages more freedom and a safer atmosphere in the country.
This is to encourage journalists, especially women, to do their jobs with confidence and respect. As Ayşe stated in her defense that lending support to freedom of speech is not a crime, CFWIJ would also reiterate her viewpoint and urge authorities to not make journalism feel like a crime. ...
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org
The Coalition For Women In Journalism closely monitors the incidents in Turkey with great concern. Since March 8, Women's Day, police violence against women journalists increasingly continues in the country. As the coalition, we urge the Turkish state to provide a free environment for journalists. Following the news is our most fundamental democratic right to report. We demand the immediate release of our detained colleagues. Journalism is not a crime. Journalism cannot be prevented.
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