On 5 September 2016, Istanbul’s Fifth Criminal Judgeship of Peace rejected writer, activist and PEN member Aslı Erdoğan’s appeal against her detention pending trial.

Erdoğan, a well-known author and board member of the now closed, pro-Kurdish daily newspaper Özgür Gündem was arrested on 17 August 2016 at her home in Istanbul following a raid on the newspaper’s office in Istanbul the previous day. During the initial days of her detention, Erdoğan – who suffers from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes – said that she was held in poor prison conditions and was denied essential medication for five days, as well as requests for water.

PEN is continuing to call for her immediate and unconditional release – please join us.  

Take Action

Spread the word

Please share details of Aslı Erdoğan’s detention with friends and colleagues and on social media: #LetAsliErdoganFree #AslıErdoğanıBırakın

Send messages of support

Send messages and postcards of solidarity and support to Aslı Erdoğan in prison at the following address:

Ms. Asli Erdogan
Bakirkoy Kadin Kapali Tutukevi
C-9 Kogusu
Bakirkoy – Istanbul – Turkey

Please also take a photo of your postcard and share on social media with the hashtag #yazarimadokunma (don’t touch my author).

Read her work

Read and share Aslı Erdoğan’s writing, including this translation of ‘The Prisoner’, translated by Deniz Perin, published by Words Without Borders.

Sign the petition

Sign the petition for Aslı Erdoğan’s release on change.org

Write to the Turkish authorities

• Urging them to immediately release Aslı Erdoğan who PEN believes is held solely in connection with her peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression;
• Calling for all detained writers and journalists to have access to lawyers and to be released if they are not to be charged with a recognizably criminal offence and tried promptly in accordance with international fair trial standards;
• Calling for decisions of criminal judgeships of the peace to be subject to appeal before the ordinary courts in line with other appeals;
• Calling on them not to use the state of emergency to crack down on peaceful dissent, civil society, media and education;

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Cumhurbaşkanlığı Külliyesi
06560 Beştepe-Ankara
Tel : (+90 312) 525 55 55
Fax : (+90 312) 525 58 31
E-mail: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RecepTayyipErdogan
Twitter: @RT_Erdogan

Please copy your appeals to the Embassy of Turkey in your country.  A list of embassies can be found here.

Please send us copies of your letters or information about other activities and of any responses received.