ATTACKS ON MEDIA FREEDOMS IN TURKEY

That this House condemns the continuous targeting of journalists and media organisations in Turkey following the recent police raids on the residences of journalists working for the daily newspaper Atilim, Özgür Radio and Etkin News Agency; notes the growing concerns over the increasing state control of media organisations by the censoring body, RTÜK, the Supreme Board of Radio and Television, which has threatened to impose fines on television channels that are critical of the government, including Ulusal Channel, Halk TV, Hayat TV and Cem TV; is concerned by reports that that government is planning a draft law to regulate the use of social media following the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's claim that the social media is a threat to society; further notes that Article 26 and Article 34 of the Turkish Constitution also guarantees the citizen's rights to freedom of expression and peaceful demonstration; further notes that the Turkish government is also bound by its international obligations such as the European Convention on Human Rights (Article 10 on freedom of expression and Article 11 on freedom of assembly) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 19 on freedom of expression and Article 20 on freedom of assembly); and therefore supports the call of the National Union of Journalists and European Federation of Journalists for the British Government to make representations to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stressing the need to respect the right of journalists to freedom of expression guaranteed by European and International law.