March 22, 2001

Turkish Daily Paper Evrensel closed for 7 days

    Our daily newspaper Yeni Evrensel is closed for one week by Istanbul State Security Court. The decision depends on an article published on 8^th January 2000, titled  I Have to See This News My Friends». The article was written on the anniversary of the death of Evrensel correspondent Metin Goktepe who was killed by being beaten under police custody. In the article it was told about the murder of Metin Goktepe and other journalists, and also was critisized that including Istanbul Police Manager Orhan Tasanlar and Vice Police Manager Kemal Bayrak, the authorities of the era were not judged.
    Istanbul State Security Court 3 decided that in the mentioned article «some police authorities were who had taken task in struggle with terrorism were shown as target to illegal organisations» and depending on law numbered 5680, sentenced daily Yeni Evrensel to 7 days closure. The Supreme Court approved the decision. In addition, owner of our paper Fevzi Saygili and responsible editor in chief Ali Karatas of the era was sentenced to 720 million TL. On the decision delivered yesterday, our paper will not be able to reach its readers for a week. This decision given in a period that the rulers of the country including parties in the coalision government, President and Head of Supreme Court are talking about democratisation, shows how insincere are their statements. This decision also carries some other meanings. A great economical crisis is lived in the country and Yeni Evrensel is the only paper that clearly writes that the new economical program (which was declared against the crisis caused by IMF policies) is IMF-World Bank and US origined, this program will create more damage on the life conditions of the poor people, the workers and the labourer, and «privitaziton» mentioned in the program will put the national sources on sale.
    We believe that closure of Yeni Evrensel in a period that the labourers are protesting this program is not a random decision. Closure is an open support to Kemal Dervis's program, who was brought from World Bank and who was given all the authority on economy. We call all the progressive powers to support Yeni Evrensel and protest Turkish government about this unjustified and unlawfull decision.

General Director Ihsan Caralan