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Turkish press certified 'not free'

The latest Freedom House report on press freedom will likely contribute to further tension in Turkey.
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On May 1, Freedom House published its 2014 rankings, in which Turkish press freedom regressed from the "partly free" to the "not free" category. With the release coming just two days before World Press Freedom Day, Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) could not ignore the report's findings, which opened up a Pandora’s box of reaction from the government and its supporters.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s words got the most attention: “Turkey allows all kinds of views to be openly expressed. In this respect, press freedom in Turkey is even freer than countries deemed to be 'partly free,' and it has deeper roots in terms of freedom than 'free' countries.” It was rather difficult for many observers to swallow his claim, but Davutoglu did not stop there. He continued, “The category that Freedom House puts Turkey in is not based on any objective information, which shows that the report is based on perception.”

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