Dear President Erdoğan
As writers, journalists and members of PEN, we are writing to express our extreme concern about the current crackdown on freedom of expression in Turkey.
Last week, VICE News’ team was detained in Turkey while reporting in the south-east. Three members of the team were charged with ‘working on behalf of a terrorist organisation’ on 31 August. British journalist Jake Hanrahan and cameraman Philip Pendlebury were released on 3 September after six days in detention but we remain seriously concerned about their colleague Mohammed Ismael Rasool who is still detained.
On 1 September, Turkish police raided the offices of Koza İpek Media group.
We recognise that Turkey is facing a period of heightened tension. However at such a time it is more important than ever that both domestic and international journalists are allowed to do their vital work without intimidation, reporting on matters of global interest and concern.
A member of the Council of Europe, Turkey is a state party to both the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It is therefore obliged to respect the right to freedom of expression and ensure that journalists are free to gather information without hindrance or threat.
Turkey’s routine use of counter-terrorism legislation against the media is a longstanding cause of concern for PEN. We urge you to allow the media in Turkey to report fully and freely on events and to release all journalists held solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression.
Yours
Dr. Syeda Aireen Jaman Secretary General, PEN Bangladesh
Monica Ali
Gabrielle Alioth, PEN Centre of German-Speaking Writers Abroad
Hanan Al-Shaykh
Apoorvanand, PEN Delhi
Cinta Arasa, PEN Català
Carme Arenas, President, PEN Català
Jiro Asada, President, PEN Japan
Frankie Asare-Donkoh, Ghanaian PEN Centre
Jutta Birmele, PEN Centre of German-Speaking Writers Abroad
Marian Botsford Fraser, Chair of the Writers in Prison Committee
William Boyd
Breyten Breytenbach, PEN Afrikaans
Drew Campbell, President, Scottish PEN
Magda Carneci, President, PEN Romania
Daniel Cil Brecher, PEN Centre of German-Speaking Writers Abroad
Jennifer Clement, President, PEN Mexico
Robert Cottrell
Antonio Della Rocca, President, PEN Trieste
Moris Farhi MBE
Maureen Freely, President, English PEN
Rita Gracián, PEN Guadalajara
Sebastiano Grasso, President, Italian Pen Club
Gloria Guardia, Vice President, PEN International
Josef Haslinger, German PEN
Jozef Heriban, President, Slovak PEN Centre
Eva Hoffman
Deborah Horn-Botha, PEN South Africa
Philo Ikonya, PEN Kenya/ PEN Club Austria
Sirpa Kähkönen, President, Finnish PEN
Kätlin Kaldmaa, President, PEN Estonia
Lucina Kathmann, Vice President, PEN International
Freya Klier, PEN Centre of German-Speaking Writers Abroad
Hanif Kureishi
Ola Larsmo, President, Swedish PEN
Joanne Leedom-Ackerman
Leena Lehtolainen, Finnish PEN
Chiara Macconi, PEN Esperanto
Frank Mackay Anim-Appiah, President, Ghanaian PEN
Mohamed Magani
Rishi Majumder, PEN Delhi
Danie Marais, PEN Afrikaans
Yann Martel
Pauline Melville
Blake Morrison
Hege Newth Nouri, Secretary General, Norwegian PEN
Katharine Norbury
Mohammad Nurul Huda, PEN Bangladesh
William Nygaard, President, Norwegian PEN
Hans-Christian Oeser, PEN Centre of German-Speaking Writers Abroad
Vida Ognjenovic, President, Serbian PEN Centre
Per Øhrgaard, Danish PEN
Sofi Oksanen, Finnish PEN
Margie Orford, President, PEN South Africa
Erol Özkoray
Nasser Pejman, International Secretary, Iranian PEN in Exile
Tone Peršak, President, Writers for Peace Committee
Professor Imran Rahman, PEN Bangladesh
Baharam Rahmani, President, Iranian PEN in Exile.
John Ralston Saul, President, PEN International
Andrea Reiter, PEN Centre of German-Speaking Writers Abroad
Mille Rode, Danish PEN
Raffaella Salierno, PEN Catalan
Eugene Schoulgin, Vice President, PEN International
Elif Shafak
Owen Sheers, Wales PEN Cymru
Iida Simes, Finnish PEN
Sjón, President, Icelandic PEN
Ali Smith
Guy Stern, PEN Centre of German-Speaking Writers Abroad
Tasleem Thawar, Executive Director, PEN Canada
Pragya Tiwari, PEN Delhi
Jarkko Tontti, Treasurer, PEN International
Carles Torner, Executive Director, PEN International
Luisa Valenzuela, PEN Argentina
Tung Van Vu, Vietnamese Abroad PEN Centre
Fred Viebahn, PEN Centre of German-Speaking Writers Abroad
Sarah Waters