Freedom of the Press - Turkey (2002)

Status: Partly Free
Legal Environment: 26
Political Influences: 23
Economic Pressures: 9
Total Score: 58

Population: n/a
GNI/capita: n/a
Life Expectancy: 69
Religious Groups: n/a
Ethnic Groups: Turkish (80 percent), Kurdish (20 percent)
Capital: Ankara

The criminal code severely limits freedom of expression and of the press. The code forbids insulting state officials and incitement to racial hatred. The Anti-Terror Law prohibits separatist propaganda. Journalists are frequently imprisoned for discussing the military, Kurds, and political Islam; according to an annual European Commission report, some 80 journalists had been imprisoned for political activities or for allegedly infringing various laws between January and November 2001. Police attacked a TV cameraman. A magazine was banned and legal proceedings begun against its editor for "insults" against the army. Another journalist was threatened with imprisonment for "insulting" the judicial system. The Turkish language news programs of the BBC and Germany's Deutsche Welle were banned. A constitutional amendment passed in October allows for broadcasts in Kurdish. However, in November authorities suppressed some media outlets that attempted to publish or broadcast in Kurdish.