The PES also regrets the decision for imprisonment of Can Dündar along with his fellow journalist Erdem Gül. Our believe is that the sentences of 5 years and 10 months and 5 years respectively are fundamentally unjust, because they target the very work of independent journalists.
PES President Sergei Stanishev said: “This is one step further in the crackdown of the Turkish state on critical media. I personally showed our support to Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, two committed journalists, in a joint demonstration with CHP representatives at the Silivri Prison earlier this year. The PES will continue to support them and the cause of freedom in every way possible”.
The PES hopes that the EU will take in to account latest negative developments in media freedom situation in Turkey as far as right now the Turkish government is not fulfilling its part of the agreement on Human Rights and the quality of its democracy.
