Turkey – where do we go from here?
September 13 2016
Norwegian PEN, Association of Norwegian Editors, Norwegian Union of Journalists, Oslo and Akershus University College, University of Oslo, Norwegian Publishers’ Association, Norwegian Press Association and the Fritt Ord Foundation invite the public to a debate on Turkey, on Tuesday, 13 September at 7 p.m. at the Fritt Ord Foundation’s premises at Uranienborgveien 2.
We have invited activist and advocate of freedom of expression Sanar Yurdatapan to Oslo. Sanar has been head of and spokesperson for the freedom of expression organisation The Initiative for Freedom of Expression since 1995.
In response to an attempted coup in Turkey on 15 July 2016, the Government declared a state of emergency “too quickly to remove all the elements of the terrorist organisation that was involved in the attempted coup.” Since then, thousands of academics have been fired, there have been mass arrests of journalists, and publishers and media houses have been closed. Government employees in the military, the judicial system and the police have experienced gross breaches of their rights and been accused of conspiring to commit the coup and sympathising with the Gülen movement, which the Erdogan Government holds responsible for the coup.
A decree adopted during the state of emergency gives all cabinet ministers the opportunity to close down any publication, publisher or avenue of communication considered to be a threat against the safety of the realm; at the same time, the courts have prohibited the press from reporting on a number of items related to the coup.
The events of recent weeks have exacerbated a climate that was already limiting fundamental rights and freedom of expression.
What is Turkey’s role in future? Some key words are human rights, freedom of expression, the EU, NATO, relations between Russia and the US, migration and Syria, terror, the Kurds.
What is Norway’s position?
PROGRAMME
Introduction by Sanar Yurdatapan, former head of the Initiative for Freedom of Freedom in Turkey.
After that, there will be a panel debate moderated by Jørgen Lorentzen, a member Norwegian PEN’s Turkey group.
The participants are:
Nerina Weiss, researcher at Fafo
Siri Neset, researcher associated with Chr. Michelsen’s Institute
Nils Butenschøn, professor at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, University of Oslo
Eugene Schoulgin, vice president of PEN International
The Turkish journalist and publisher Ragip Zarakolu will conclude the seminar with an appeal.
Update: Footage from the debate has been published on the Fritt Ord Youtube-channel.