Rehn says EU closely monitors tax fine on Turkey's Dogan Media Group
Hurriyet Daily News with wires
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"We know the legal process is underway. And we acknowledge that. But the European Commission will closely monitor this legal case. The important thing is that judiciary acts in full independence," Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said Tuesday referring to the ongoing legal process on the tax fine imposed on the Dogan Group.
Dogan Media Group, or DMG, was fined around $500 million in tax penalties over claims it had not fulfilled its liabilities on time during the sale of 25 percent of Dogan TV to
Rehn told the EU-Turkey interparliamentary committee that the recent tax fine on Dogan Group made him start to think about the freedom of press in
He said the EU would closely watch the legal process in respect to proportionality, impartiality, and judicial independence in the EU-candidate country, also adding that freedom of press would be given prominence in the next progress report of the commission.
Rehn said the EU Commission could not and did not intend to intervene in a tax dispute between a private company and the Turkish state, but added that the lack of understanding and a financial sanctions threatening the economic existence of a media group, unequivocally touched the freedom of press that was the corner stone of open societies.
Dogan, which owns top selling dailies, including Hurriyet, a news agency, and network broadcasters, has been the target of harsh criticism from Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, who has called on supporters not to buy the group's newspapers after they ran stories alleging government corruption.
Rehn also told the conference that
"The local elections have consumed a lot of energy, as elections tend to do. Now that people have cast their vote it is time for
