Turkey: Erdogan's party wants to limit press freedom Nationalist 'Grey Wolves' want death penalty

(ANSAmed) - ANKARA, JULY 13 - The nationalist Islamic Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyp Erdogan has presented to Parliament a measure to limit freedom of the press protected under article 28 of the constitution, local media in Ankara reported.



Article 28 presently states that ''the press is free and must not be censored''. There are however limitations in the name of national security, public order and the republic's fundamental principles, the Milliyet newspaper noted.



Under the new article proposed by the AKP to the commission drafting a constitutional reform, freedom of the press can be limited on a number of other accounts including 'public morality'. According to Milliyet, the proposal states that 'freedom of the press can be limited to protect national security, public order, public morality, other individual rights, privacy, to prevent crimes, safeguard impartiality and freedom of the judicial system, to prevent pro-war propaganda, discriminations and hate'.



According to international media associations, some 100 journalists are currently detained in Turkey.



According to the Vatan daily, the Nationalist Movement Party, the so-called Grey Wolves has presented a reform in the commission to reinstate the death penalty in Turkey. (ANSAmed).



