Freedom for Cumhuriyet, freedom for all Turkish journalists!

President Erdoğan,

17 leading employees of the daily Cumhuriyet are unjustly charged with “terrorism”and 3 of them have been subjected to a strict isolation regime in a high security prison : editor Murat Sabuncu, investigative reporter Ahmet Şık and executive board president Akın Atalay, have been put behind bars for more than a year.

Their trial will reopen on 9 March in Turkey. It is time to withdraw the absurd charges brought against them. We demand the immediate release of Cumhuriyet’s employees and all the other journalists who have been thrown in prison just for doing their job.

For years you have been doing everything possible to silence those who dare to do their job, to cover the news. They have been subjected to arbitrary imprisonment, searches, closure of media outlets and confiscation of press cards. President Erdoğan, we won’t let you continue !

We have had enough of seeing Turkish journalists treated as terrorists. We have had enough of mass trials, outrageous charges and arbitrary detentions that are tragedies for the victims.

It is time to restore pluralism, media freedom and the rule of law in Turkey. #SaveTurkishJournalists!