The State Department is condemning Turkey’s arrest of two journalists in the country.
“The investigation, criminal charges, and arrest raise serious concerns about the Turkish government’s commitment to the fundamental principle of media freedom,” State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a Friday statement. “These events are only the latest in a series of judicial and law enforcement actions taken under questionable circumstances against Turkish media outlets critical of the government.”
The statement concluded by calling “on Turkish authorities to ensure that all individuals and organizations — including but not limited to the media — are free to voice a full range of opinions and criticism, in accordance with Turkey’s constitutional guarantees of media freedom and freedom of expression.”
A court in Istanbul arrested Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Can Dundar and Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gul for a June report suggesting Turkish intelligence services were funneling arms to Syria. The two were charged with revealing state secrets and espionage.
“The weapons were most likely headed to [the Islamic State], infamous globally for its brutality,” Dundar told CNN.
Turkey initiated a bombing campaign targeted at the Islamic State in July. However, the difficulty of discerning extremist elements in the midst of conflict has contributed to a maladroit campaign rife with accusations that parties are supporting elements of the Islamic State.
Reporters Without Borders ranks Turkey 149 out of 180 in its 2015 Press Freedom Index. Reports place the number of journalists imprisoned in the country between 30 and 40.
