The right to freedom of expression in the EU

2.9.2015

Question for written answer E-012390-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Costas Mavrides (S&D)

The Turkish Cypriot Afrika daily newspaper reported on 30 August 2015 that the Turkish occupation army in Cyprus has opened a file against the paper on the grounds that various publications by Afrika are against ‘the army and the flag’. According to the paper, both its editor-in-chief, Sener Levent, and Mahmut Anayasa, who shared an article published in Afrika on 8 July 2015 on a social media account on 10 July 2015, were called to the ‘prosecutor’s office’ to answer questions on the issue. Afrika is accused of offending the ‘Turkish Forces’ and ‘of making the people alienated from the army’. This is not the first time that the Turkish Cypriot journalist Sener Levent of the Afrika newspaper has been falsely accused and imprisoned.

This action is a clear violation of human rights, specifically the freedom of expression. Given that Turkey exercises effective control over the occupied part of Cyprus and, at the same time, is a candidate country for accession to the EU:

What actions are to be taken in order to protect these two European citizens, Sener Levent and Mahmut Anayasa, so that they are not accused and imprisoned or killed by the Turkish occupation army?