Norwegian PEN and several international freedom of expression- and human rights organizations protest the continuing harassment of writers and publishers in Turkey. On March 2, a delegation will monitor two court cases in Istanbul and Ankara. (25-FEB-05)

On March 2. 2005, publisher, academic and writer Dr. Fikret Baskaya will be tried in Ankara for several articles he has written and later published. At the same date, publisher and writer Ragip Zarakolu will be tried in Istanbul, also on the basis of articles he has written and published.

Court cases in Istanbul and Ankara
Norwegian PEN, Turkish PEN, International PEN, The Turkish Publishers Association, The International Publishers Association, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and several other organizations, both Turkish and international, take this opportunity to send a delegation to Ankara and Istanbul in order to monitor the two court cases and to protest the continuing harassment of writers and publishers in Turkey.

Want to meet Turkish authorities
Turkish as well as international media have been alerted and the delegation hopes to be able to meet with Turksih authorities, members of the government as well as MPs.  Several embassies in Ankara will also be present at the trials as well as a press conference in Ankara.

Norwegian PENs delegation-members are Norwegian PEN president Kjell Olaf Jensen, secretary general Carl Morten Iversen and PEN-members Eugene Schoulgin, Elisabeth Dyvik and Ole-Gunnar Solheim.