Release of Mehmet Altan Represents a Welcome First Step for Free Expression in Turkey
“This ruling, while very welcome and a great relief for Mehmet and his family, is only a first step in restoring justice in this case.” More
Çayan Demirel and Ertuğrul Mavioğlu | Status: On Trial | Turkey
Award-winning filmmaker Çayan Demirel and veteran journalist Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, the two Turkish directors of the documentary Bakur (which means north in Kurdish), are facing up to 5 years in… More
Joint Statement on the Cumhuriyet Trial
The verdict in the Cumhuriyet trial is a further severe blow to free expression in Turkey. Without freedom of the press to report on the government there is no… More
Threat of Prison Sentence for Two Turkish Filmmakers Marks Another Blow to Free Expression in Turkey
“The campaign of intimidation against Çayan Demirel and Ertuğrul Mavioğlu and the criminalization of their work is an egregious violation of human rights, and yet another example of the… More
Turkish Constitutional Court’s Ruling Ignored as Mehmet Altan Remains in Detention
The failure of the judiciary to uphold the rulings of the Constitutional Court is a transgression of Mehmet Altan’s intrinsic rights, and calls into question the independence of the… More
Half-Free: How “Conditional Release” Continues to Limit Free Expression for Writers at Risk
The goals of incarceration and limited release are one in the same: to suppress free expression and to enforce silence. More
Defense Lawyers for Detained Altan Brothers Ousted from Court During Trial as Freedom of Expression Continues to Deteriorate in Turkey
The ousting of Ahmet and Mehmet Altan’s legal defense team shows an egregious disregard for the rule of law and civil liberties in Turkey. More
Detention of Publisher Osman Kavala Evidence of Erosion of Liberties in Turkey
Holding Osman Kavala is indicative of a movement to silence dissent and the supporters of the kinds of cultural institutions associated with free societies. More
Sentencing of Wall Street Journal Reporter in Turkey for Spreading “Terrorist Propaganda” a Further Deterioration of Press Freedom
The unfounded and wrongful conviction of Ayla Albayrak represents a growing trend in the Turkish government's suppression of journalistic freedoms. More
Turkey: Lift travel restrictions imposed on writer Aslı Erdoğan
PEN is concerned about the travel restrictions placed by the Turkish authorities on award-winning author and PEN honorary member Aslı Erdoğan. She is due to travel to Osnabrück, Germany,… More
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To any writer artist who is at risk, or is in need of assistance, including those denied entry into the U.S. as a result of the latest Trump Administration travel ban. 
