Protest Against Turkish Fine

Protest Against Turkish Fine

The World Association of Newspapers and World Editors Forum today condemned an 826 million pound (381 million Euro, $490 million dollar) fine imposed on the Dogan Media Group in Turkey, calling it a ³politically motivated² response to critical reporting.

In a statement, the Paris-based associations, the global organisations of the world¹s press, called on Turkey to apply its tax laws fairly and transparently, to not use them as a tool to intimidate the press, and to respect international standards of freedom of expression.

³We are seriously concerned that the fine may be politically motivated,² the statement said. ³It follows the publication of stories by Dogan newspapers in September 2008 alleging that millions of euros unlawfully siphoned off a German charity may have gone to Turkey¹s ruling party.²

On 16 February, the country¹s tax authorities handed down the fine for alleged tax fraud, claiming the Dogan Media Group had delayed payment of tax on a sale of shares to German publishers Axel Springer. The Dogan group denies the charges and says that it paid its taxes on time.

The fine follows two other incidents suggesting political motivation: the cancellation, in November 2008, of the accreditation of seven Dogan Group reporters covering prime ministerial affairs; and the recent call by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the public not to buy Dogan Media Group newspapers.

Dogan, the nation¹s largest media group, publishes Hürriyet and Milliyet and owns CNN-Turk.

More WAN/WEF press freedom protests can be found at http://www.wan-press.org/pfreedom/rubriques.php?id=304

The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom and the professional and business interests of newspapers world-wide. Representing 18,000 newspapers, its membership includes 77 national newspaper associations, newspaper companies and individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 11 regional and world-wide press groups.

The WEF is the organisation for editors within the World Association of Newspapers (http://www.worldeditorsforum.org).

ENDS

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