Newsfeed - May 13

GIT - North America is an independent organization, supported solely by the volunteered time dedicated by its members who are faculty and graduate students working on Turkey.

To sign the inaugural declaration of GIT, please send an e-mail to diana.gonzalez2@wanadoo.fr -- to join GIT - North America, e-mail gitamerica@yahoo.com

11 years for wearing a "poshu"

Cihan Kırmızıgül, a college student at Galatasaray University, has been sentenced for 11 years for, basically, wearing a "poshu." Read the full report on Hurriyet Daily News.

Reminders about Cihan Kırmızıgül case

To read our previous reporting on the case of Cihan Kırmızıgül, please click here and here.

No judicial punishment to police officers in the Hrant Dink case

Delinquent police officers involved in the murder case of the Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink received almost no punishment. Read the full report on Bianet.

Turkey in great company

Turkey ranked in the top five list of "the countries with the most journalists in jail". The other countries are Iran, Eritrea, China and Syria. Read the full report on Bianet.

Newsfeed - May 6

GIT - North America is an independent organization, supported solely by the volunteered time dedicated by its members who are faculty and graduate students working on Turkey.

To sign the inaugural declaration of GIT, please send an e-mail to diana.gonzalez2@wanadoo.fr -- to join GIT - North America, e-mail gitamerica@yahoo.com


Supposedly most liberal university of Turkey bans May Day posters
Read about the ban on May Day Posters at Sabancı University via GIT - North America.

Excessive violence against students' peaceful protest in Samsun
Read about the violent crash of a peaceful protest by college students and the ensuing arrests in Samsun on GIT - North America.

100 Journalists still in Prison on World Press Freedom Day
Read BIA's quarterly media monitoring report and media unions' responses to press freedom related questions via GIT - North America.

Ragıp Zarakolu honored at PEN event in New York 

Read on Zarakolu's reception of the Association of American Publisher’s Jeri Laber International Freedom to Publish Award via GIT - North America.

Supposedly most liberal university of Turkey bans May Day posters

Sabancı University, which actually has a finely worded statement on academic freedom, banned May 1 posters on its campus.

After a few posters were hanged, they were removed within an hour. When students formally applied to hang them, their request was denied after two days. For the full story, including the university's excuse for denial, visit Bianet.

Excessive violence against students' peaceful protest in Samsun

A peaceful protest by the students of May 19 University in Samsun was crashed, first, by private security officers, and then the police on Friday, May 4. 

The students protested the visit of the Minister for Youth and Sports, Suat Kılıç, by holding signs that read "AKP get out! Universities are ours!" They also wanted to walk through the campus. Their walk was crashed by the private security personnel of the campus. As a result of the ensuing tension, special forces were called in. The police ended up arresting 20 students from among the protesters. The minister arrived 15 minutes after the incident.

You can read the full report in Turkish on Radikal.

100 Journalists still in Prison on World Press Freedom Day

BIA Media Monitoring Report for the first quarter of 2012 was released on Wednesday, May 2. 100 Journalists and 35 newspaper distributors were in jail during the first three months of 2012. 21 people, including 12 journalists, were facing imprisonment of 254 years in total under allegations of "propaganda for an illegal organization." You can read the full report on Bianet.

Thursday, May 3, was "World Press Freedom Day." Bianet asked various media unions the following four questions:
* What are your studies regarding the journalism problems in Turkey; editorial independence, censorship, self-censorship?
* Do you have any projects for the trial processes of the journalists and the journalists in jail?
* What are the major barriers against press freedom in Turkey?
* What do you think about the new judiciary package prepared for media?

Read their responses on Bianet.

Ragıp Zarakolu honored at PEN event in New York

Ragıp Zarakolu was among those honored by more than 500 PEN luminaries and supporters at an event in New York City. He received the Association of American Publisher’s Jeri Laber International Freedom to Publish Award, which he dedicated to “the many other publishers, editors, writers, and journalists” who remain in prison in Turkey. You can read the full report on Pambazuka.