EU Rapporteur Piri on Cumhuriyet: Final Blow to Press Freedom?

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While resignations continue in the wake of management change that took place at Cumhuriyet newspaper on Friday (September 7), European Parliament Rapporteur to Turkey Kati Piri has made a statement on Twitter.

Piri said, “After raids, legal proceedings, arrests & imprisonment of its journalists, last independent newspaper Cumhuriyet now taken over by ultra-nationalists, aligned with President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan.

“Is this final blow to what was left of press freedom in Turkey?”

After raids, legal proceedings, arrests & imprisonment of its journalists, last independent newspaper #Cumhuriyet now taken over by ultra-nationalists, aligned with President #Erdogan. Is this final blow to what was left of press freedom in #Turkey?

— Kati Piri (@KatiPiri) 8 Eylül 2018

What happened?

In the meeting held at Cumhuriyet newspaper on Friday (September 7), Alev Coşkun was elected Cumhuriyet Foundation Board Chair. Coşkun was a witness of prosecution in trial in which newspaper’s writers and managers were jailed.

Aykut Küçükkaya was elected Cumhuriyet Editor-in-Chief replacing Murat Sabuncu, who was released on March 9.

After these developments, Chief Editors Bülent Özdoğan and Faruk Eren were discharged. (PT/TK)