South-East European Research Centre (SEERC)

Since the beginning of the 20th century, 62 journalists are killed in Turkey. An intellectual from the Armenian community of Turkey, Hrant Dink became the latest target of the journalist murders. The killer (or killers) are said to be acting with nationalist motives. The first of such murders took place in 1909 when Hasan Fehmi Bey was killed. Hasan Fehmi Bey was criticizing the policies of İttahat ve Terakki (Union and Progress) clique that seized power by a coup. He was killed in broad day light over the crowded Galata Bridge in İstanbul and his murderer was never found. His newspaper Serbesti (Freedom) had the headline, “Prayers for the First Victim of the Freedom of Press”. This headline had more foresight to the future than perhaps those who wrote it had envisaged. As of 2007, journalists of Turkey are imprisoned or face violence because of certain political conditions that could not be eradicated since a century. Brutal silencing of the journalists inevitably leads to self-censorship. The legislations are not supportive of the rights of the journalists either. This seminar debates the concept of the freedom of thought and press in Turkey, in relation with Turkish nationalism.