What changed

B100098/2024

European Parliament resolution on the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye

(2024/2856(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous reports and resolutions on Türkiye,

having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the 2024 World Press Freedom Index, which ranks Türkiye 158th out of 180 countries,

A. whereas on May 6, 2023, Bülent Mumay was sentenced to 20 months in prison for "spreading personal data" and for his social media posts about a pro-government construction company's alleged seizure of Istanbul Municipality's subway funds in the period of the previous administration,

– having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

B. whereas a Turkish court ordered to block access to his tweet, which alleged that the contractors were government-affiliated,

A. whereas, on 6 May 2023, Bülent Mumay, a Turkish journalist and coordinator of the Istanbul bureau of Deutsche Welle’s Turkish editorial office, was sentenced to 20 months in prison for social media posts about a pro-government company’s seizure of Istanbul Municipality’s subway funds during the AKP administration; whereas his appeal was rejected, and his tweets removed;

C.B. whereaswhereas, on August20 20,August 2024, Istanbul’s 26th Regional Court, acting as an appeals courtcourt, upheld the 20-month prison sentence,sentence and ordered the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) to block access to news reports about the upheld prison sentence,sentence;

D. whereas the charges against Bülent Mumay include illegally obtaining or disseminating personal data, and appear to be only an attempt to silence critical journalism,

C. whereas the verdict, coupled with repeated censorship, demonstrates the escalating pressure on press freedom in Türkiye, with Bülent Mumay’s case not being an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of judicial harassment and censorship targeting Türkiye’s independent media;

E. whereas several press organizations have condemned the recent sentence, citing it as a grave assault on press freedom,

D. whereas Türkiye, as a member of the Council of Europe and EU candidate country, is required to apply the highest democratic standards and practices, including respect for human rights, the rule of law, fundamental freedoms (such as press freedom and freedom of expression), the universal right to a fair trial and strict respect for the principle of presumption of innocence and the right to due process;

F. whereas Bülent Mumay was also arrested and later released in 2016 in the days following the coup attempt in Türkiye,

1. Condemns the sentence against Bülent Mumay, which follows a broader pattern of silencing critical journalism; calls on the Turkish authorities to drop the charges against Bülent Mumay, and all arbitrarily detained media workers and journalists;

G. whereas Türkiye ranks 158th in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index,

2. Is deeply concerned about the ongoing deterioration of democratic standards in Türkiye, relentless crackdown on any critical voices and targeting of independent journalists, activists and opposition members amid frequent reports of legal intimidation, censorship and financial coercion as ways to suppress criticism and investigative journalism;

1. Is deeply concerned for the conviction of journalist Bülent Mumay following his press investigations and social media posts criticizing the seizure of municipal funds by a pro-government company,

3. Deplores the fact that, the Turkish Government, through a number of laws, including the 2020 social media law, the 2021 anti-money laundering law, and the 2022 disinformation law, has built a complex web of legislation serving as a tool to systematically control and silence journalists; is highly concerned about the new ‘foreign agent regulation’ to be introduced by the end of 2024;

2. Deplores the decision by Turkish appeals court to uphold the 20-month prison sentence and to order the blocking of access to related news reports,

4. Continues to condemn the lack of independence of the prosecution and judiciary and the political instrumentalisation of the judicial system in Türkiye and calls on the Turkish authorities to restore judicial independence, respect press freedom and ensure compliance with international human rights obligations;

3. Calls for the revision of the sentence and for the immediate release of Bülent Mumay, in the patent absence of solid legal charges, in line with Türkiye’s international and constitutional obligations;

5. Calls on the EEAS to adequately support the EU Delegation to Türkiye in intensifying trial observation of detained journalists and media workers and raising their cases with the Turkish authorities at all levels, while maintaining close relations with civil society;

4. Considers that the sentence on Bülent Mumay follows a broader pattern of judicial harassment targeting independent journalists, activists and opposition members in Türkiye, where legal intimidation, censorship, and financial coercion are often reported as ways to suppress criticism and investigative press,

6. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the EEAS, and the President, Government and Parliament of Türkiye and have it translated into Turkish.

5. Recalls its previous positions condemning the prosecution, censorship and harassment of journalists and independent media in Türkiye;

6. Calls again on the Turkish authorities to respect press freedoms in accordance with international standards and to let journalists practise its profession freely, as this provides for an overall healthier democracy and society;

7. Continues to condemn the lack of independence of the prosecution and judiciary and the political instrumentalisation of the judicial system in Türkiye;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of the Council and the Commission; asks that this resolution be translated into Turkish and forwarded to the President, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Türkiye.