On Thursday, the Parliament adopted a resolution on human rights issues in Turkey through a show of hands. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) expressed deep concern about the ongoing deterioration of democratic standards in the country and the targeting of independent journalists, activists, and opposition members.
They condemned the sentencing of Turkish DW journalist Bülent Mumay, viewing it as part of a “pattern of judicial harassment and censorship” against Turkey’s “independent media”. The MEPs called on the authorities to drop the charges against him and all arbitrarily detained media workers, political opponents, human rights defenders, civil servants, and academics.
Last year, Mumay, who coordinates DW’s Istanbul bureau, was handed a 20-month suspended sentence for “obtaining and publishing personal data without permission.” He began serving his term in June after an unsuccessful appeal. The journalist had posted on social media about Met-Gun Insaat, a construction company with ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, which had intervened in city politics and had public funds seized. His posts on Twitter defied an official order not to report on the issue.
MEPs expressed strong disapproval of the intricate system of laws in Turkey that consistently suppresses and regulates journalists. They also condemned the upcoming “foreign agent regulation” to be implemented by the end of 2024. The Parliament urges Turkish authorities to reinstate judicial independence, uphold freedom of the press, and uphold their international human rights commitments.
