Merkel says Turkey media crackdown ‘highly alarming’

German Chancellor Angela Merkel today (2 November) called Turkey’s latest arrests of opposition newspaper journalists “highly alarming” and said they would impact Ankara’s EU membership negotiations.

“For me and the entire government, it is highly alarming that freedom of the press and speech are being restricted again and again,” she said after Turkey detained at least a dozen journalists and executives from Cumhuriyet.

Turkey detains editor of opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet

Turkish police on Monday (31 October) detained the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Cumhuriyet — a thorn in the side of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan — as Ankara widens a crackdown on opposition media.

“And the latest example of this already very sad trend is what happened to the reporters and chief editor of Cumhuriyet,” Merkel said at a joint press conference with Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann.

“We have great doubts that it complied with the rule of law,” she added.

“The journalists can be certain of our solidarity, just like all the others in Turkey who, under difficult conditions, are active for freedom of the press and speech,” Merkel said, adding that the German ambassador had visited the Cumhuriyet newsroom on Tuesday (1 November).

The EU has joined a visit of diplomatic missions accredited in Turkey to Cumhuriyet, to hear about recent developments and express support for media pluralism in Turkey.

“The issue will obviously play a central role in membership negotiations with the European Union, so the situation is alarming,” added Merkel.

Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn has tweeted today to mark the International day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. However, he didn’t mention Turkey.

Journalists criticise the EU's rapprochement with Turkey

In their effort to stem the refugee crisis, the EU has betrayed Turkish journalists and ordinary citizens, who have courageously stood up to the authoritarian plans of the government, journalistic organisations said yesterday (15 December).

Seized newspaper becomes mouthpiece of the Turkish government

A leading Turkish newspaper which had staunchly opposed President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan printed yesterday (6 March) its first new edition since its seizure by authorities, strongly supporting the government line.