"It is right to underline the potential role that modern Turkey can play on the world stage in demonstrating that a major Muslim country can promote and enjoy tolerance, democracy and full human rights, including the vital right of every citizen to receive free information and express himself freely," said Seok Hyun Hong, at the opening of the 57th World Newspaper Congress and 11th World Editors Forum in Istanbul, Turkey.
"These rights and other basic democratic values are outlawed or severely restricted in the great majority of countries with predominantly Muslim populations, and positive examples are in great need, particularly in this region, where Turkey can exert additional influence," he said.
Turkey has undertaken a series of reforms in recent years, as it strives to join the European Union, and has abolished or modified many laws that restricted freedom of expression and were used to prosecute and imprison journalists and human rights activists. While limitations of free expression still exist, and harassment and prosecution of human rights activists still occur, the country has made great strides, said Dr Hong, addressing more than 1,000 senior newspaper executives from 88 countries, in the presence of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Dr Hong told Prime Minister Erdogan: "On the night of your party’s election victory, less than two years ago, you promised ’a more meaningful and different era in terms of basic rights and freedoms.’ It is not for me to judge in the place of the Turkish people whether that election night engagement has been upheld by your government to their full satisfaction. But I do feel confident and comfortable in recognising significant advances in the field of freedom of expression and that is why WAN is able to come to Istanbul this year with a good conscience and in a positive frame of mind."
While lauding improvements in Turkey, Dr Hong said the general conditions for press freedom in the world have deteriorated in recent times. He cited these figures: 53 media workers killed on duty in 2003 and a further 25 already in the first five months of this year; at least 766 media employees arrested last year; 1,460 journalists attacked; 500 media censored or suspended.
"WAN continues to remark the proliferation of restrictions to freedom of information through national security laws and other measures introduced by governments in the name of the fight against international terrorism, but often, in truth, to silence independent media," he said.
"I would like to repeat today what I have said on several occasions but which has not, I feel, yet been fully grasped by the international community of democratic nations: the breeding grounds of terrorism lie, and have always lain, for the most part in those countries which have eliminated or severely restrict the free flow of information, ideas and debate," he said. "Hatred and the violence it engenders grow best in the shadows, away from the bright spotlight of open scrutiny. And that is why aid and development programmes and the foreign policy of democratic nations must forego the benefits of short term political expedience and military alliances and demand and invest in the establishment of free media."
Read the full speech here.
The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry, defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 72 national newspaper associations, individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 13 news agencies and ten regional and world-wide press groups.
Inquiries to: Larry Kilman, Director of Communications, WAN, 7 rue Geoffroy St Hilaire, 75005 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00. Fax: +33 1 47 42 49 48. Mobile: +33 6 10 28 97 36. E-mail: lkilman@wan.asso.fr.
