March 17, 2015

Statement of Senator Patrick Leahy On Assault on Press Freedom in Turkey Senate Floor

U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy*

Mr. President, I have spoken many times on the Senate floor in defense of press freedom because it is a fundamental cornerstone of a democratic society. Today I want to briefly draw the Senate’s attention to the situation in Turkey, one of the many countries in the world where this basic right is under threat by officials in the government who seek to silence their critics.

Whistleblower Fuat Avni: Gov’t to plant weapons in Hizmet buildings to declare it terrorist group

A government whistleblower who tweets under the pseudonym Fuat Avni has alleged that the government is planning to plant weapons and ammunition in houses and buildings used by followers of the Hizmet movement in order to declare the movement a terrorist organization ahead of the upcoming general election.

13+ age restriction for Selam movie draws reactions from film critics

Age restrictions by Turkey's state-run Cinema Evaluation and Classification Board have drawn reactions from film critics as “Selam: Bahara Yolculuk” (Journey to Spring) -- a new feature film directed by Turkish actor-director Hamdi Alkan, and which opened in Turkey on March 13 -- has been issued a 13+ age rating.