Press organisations are reacting to a new law hurriedly passed by parliament which limits press freedom.
Turkish Cypriot daily ‘Afrika’ reports that the law which relates to the “protection of private life” has seen a groundswell of opinion, including that of journalists and the legal profession, against it.
General Secretary of the Journalists’ union (BASIN-SEN), Canan Onurer has said that journalists’ organisations will be meeting to examine the new law which makes illegal the publication of a certain kinds of information, such as tape recordings, tax lists etc. The penalty for breaking the law is up to seven years imprisonment.
‘Afrika’ comments that the introduction of the new law reflects similar action taken by the ruling AKP government in Turkey and reminds everyone that Turkey has the highest number of journalists in its jails in the world. It also adds that recently the impartiality of the Turkish judiciary has been compromised.
