The Arrest of Ahmet Sik, Journalists, Freedom of Speech in Turkey

In an extraordinary attack on press freedom in Turkey, investigative journalist Ahmet Sik was arrested on December 30, 2016 and charged with disseminating “terrorist propaganda.” The charges relate to his news pieces and articles as well as his Tweets. Ahmet Sik is among 144 journalists who are currently in jail in Turkey. This press conference, organized by Research Institute on Turkey (RIT), brings together international organizations to share reports, support colleagues, and draw attention to these arrests and charges, which represent a significant escalation in the repression of the freedom of expression in Turkey.

Participants:
Johann Bier, Reporters Without Borders (via Skype from Europe) https://rsf.org/
Karin D. Karlekar Ph.D., PEN America https://pen.org
Speaker, Research Institute on Turkey, http://www.riturkey.org
Speaker, Amnesty International, www.amnestyusa.org
Larry Goldbetter – The President of National Writers Union
Peter Rugh – Associate Editor, Indypendent

Organized by Research Institute on Turkey, a grassroots research cooperative based in New York City. Our goal is to contribute to a pluralistic, egalitarian, and democratic Turkey with an emphasis on social and economic justice, gender equality, sexual rights, cultural and political recognition and ecologic sustainability from a critical historical perspective.

From the Hagop Kevorkian Center.