Journalism is a dangerous profession, especially for those journalists prepared to write the truth about the repressive state of Turkey. Metin Goktepe, a journalist for Evrensel , was beaten to death whilst held in police custody in Istanbul. Ocak Isik Yurtcu, editor of Ozgur Gundem was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. Bekir Dogan is but one in a long line of Kurdish journalists who have disappeared, many whilst held in custody. Article XIX has documented that of all the world's imprisoned journalists, more than half languish in Turkish gaols.
Writers face similar persecution.
More writers are imprisoned in Turkey than in any other country. In what has become the infamous Freedom of Thought trial Yasar Kemal, Turkey's most renowned living writer, was prosecuted for an article he had written for the German magazine Der Spiegel . The government response was to charge 185 members of the group under Article 8. Those charged represent a major section of Turkey's literary and artistic elite. Yasar Kemal was given a 20-month suspended sentence for his contribution, an essay entitled 'Dark Cloud over Turkey'.