Brussels, 28/10/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 27 October, the European Union underlined its concern as regards the Koza-Ipek holding being put under supervision. Koza-Ipek includes a large press group and is close to Fethullah Gulen, an opponent to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
“The latest developments concerning the Koza-Ipek holding are of concern and we are following them closely”, said Maja Kocijancic, a spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini. “As a country that is negotiating its accession to the EU, Turkey must guarantee the respect of human rights - including the freedom of expression, in line with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The EU will continue to raise the issue of freedom of expression with the Turkish authorities as a matter of priority”, Kocijancic added. Mogherini's other spokesperson, Catherine Ray, said on Wednesday 28 October that she hoped the elections on 1 November would be “in line with international standards”.
European Parliament President Martin Schulz has also said he is “deeply concerned” at Ipek's seizure “right ahead of elections in Turkey on 1 November”. “Free media are a cornerstone of vibrant democracies”, he tweeted.
In a joint press release from the chairs of the ALDE and Greens Groups at the European Parliament, Guy Verhofstadt and Rebecca Harms urged Erdogan to listen and talk to deviant opinions and to stop the strategy of silencing opposition. “The obvious attempt to directly influence critical Turkish media voices has to be stopped (…) The crystal-clear undemocratic manoeuvre against Ipek prior to the Turkish elections will not silence critics”, they said. “Ipek's seizure has to be revised immediately”, Verhofstadt and Harms added.
On Tuesday 27 October, five days ahead of the parliamentary elections in Turkey, the police raided the offices of this holding, which in addition to media, is also involved in the energy and metal industries. The police intervention has provoked demonstrations. The previous day, the judicial authorities decided to put Koza-Ipek under supervision at the request of Ankara's general prosecutor, who has for long suspected the holding of financing, recruiting and making propaganda for Gulen. Gulen is directing an influential network of media, companies and NGOs from the USA - a network which the Turkish authorities describe as a terrorist organisation. In early September, the police raided the offices of 23 companies belonging to Koza-Ipek, as part of an anti-terrorist investigation. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)