German MP Roth Expresses Anger over Denial of Request to Visit Journalists in Prison
Claudia Roth, co-leader of the German Green Party, criticizes the bureaucracy in Turkey after she is unable to visit journalist Ahmet Şık in prison. According to Roth, the scandalous thing was not the denial of her request to visit Şık, but the ‘show-off’ stance of the Turkish government on the issue.
Turkish democracy is under threat, according to the co-president of the German Greens Party, who said she was upset and surprised at not being allowed to visit arrested journalists despite applications to the necessary official departments.
“We applied to the Turkish Justice Ministry and the Foreign Ministry in order to get permission to visit Ahmet Şık on behalf of 70 arrested journalists, however, they made us wait for one and a half hours at Silivri Prison where he shared the prison with another arrested journalist, Nedim Şener,” Claudia Roth told a press conference in Istanbul on Thursday.
During the conference, however, the 2nd Silivri Prison sent a fax to the co-president saying the request for a visit had been approved by the prison. Recalling the end of visiting hours at 5 p.m., Roth noted that she did not understand whether the administration was making fun of them, as it was not possible to arrive at Silivri prison before that time.
Scandalous ‘show-off’
Because the permission only included the date of July 28, it was not possible for Roth to visit Şık on another day.
According to her, the scandalous thing was not the denial of her request, but the “show-off” stance of the Turkish government on the issue.
“As much as people need water and bread to survive, democracies need freedom of expression to live,” said Roth, adding that neither Şık nor his lawyers were informed on the reason for the accusations.
According to her, the government is attempting to make journalists afraid of the state and to censor themselves.
“Some cartoons or columns about me make her angry as well,” Roth said, but added that she never considered banning them.
Regarding the latest decision on the confessed murderer of journalist Hrant Dink, Roth said sentencing Ogün Samast to under 23 years was not enough. “We saw the footage of the camera which displayed the other suspects in Dink’s murder; where are they now?
Who is behind this murder?” said Roth, adding that they should be brought to the justice as well.
Stressing that the Green Party has been fighting against nuclear energy for 35 years, Roth said she could not understand how the Turkish government would consider building a reactor after Fukushima, given that it has wind and solar energy.
“However, the Turkish government is still insisting on constructing nuclear energy power plants such as Akkuyu and Sinop,” Roth added.
Roth said she would coordinate with pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, or BDP, deputy Ertuğrul Kürkçü on the issue.
July 28, 2011
SOURCE: Hürriyet Daily News
