IPI condemns raid on Turkish daily

VIENNA

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The Vienna-based International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, has condemned a raid by Turkish police on the printing press of daily Cumhuriyet to inspect the newspaper, which the authorities feared might contain insulting images of the Prophet Muhammad.

“Preventing a newspaper from distributing copies until government officials approve its content is an unacceptable form of censorship and sets another dangerous precedent for Turkey,” IPI Director of Advocacy and Communications Steven M. Ellis said in the Jan. 14 statement.

“Are all media in the country now to be held hostage by the possibility that someone, somewhere might point to a perceived grievance to justify committing crime?" Ellis added.

“Turkish authorities should be delivering a strong message on how important free speech is to justice and good governance – even though some people may occasionally be offended, shocked or disturbed – and that violence is never justified. Instead, this raid sends a signal that the right to speak freely is subject to the whims of those willing to shed blood,” he said.