Türkiye Gazeteciler
Sendikasi (TGS), the largest IFJ and EFJ affiliate in the country, is playing a leading role in the Press Freedom Forum, the campaign
to release over 100 journalists currently in jail in Turkey.
They report that the General Manager of the Anatolian Press Agency
(the state news agency), who is directly appointed by the government, has
recently been driving attempts to force the agency's journalists to resign from
the TGS. The Anatolian Press Agency (Anadolu Ajans?) is the largest employer of
TGS members and their membership is of crucial importance to the success of the
union's work of defending journalists' rights.
Jim Boumelha, President of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Arne König,
President of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) wrote to Štefan
Füle, Commissioner for
Enlargement and Neighborhood Policy.They denounce the recent developments that appear to demonstrate a concerted effort
by the Turkish authorities to attack TGS.
Read the letter.
Update: The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC),
which represents 175 million workers through its 305 affiliated
organisations support the EFJ and the IFJ by sending a letter to Turkish
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Read this letter