MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye

B10‑0095/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the case of Bülent Mumay in Türkiye

(2024/2856(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas on 6 May 2023, journalist Bülent Mumay was sentenced to 20 months in prison for his social media posts on alleged money laundering schemes; whereas on 20 August 2024, an appeal court upheld the conviction; whereas Mumay's remaining legal recourse is an individual application to the Constitutional Court;

B. whereas Mumay's case is part of a broader pattern of judicial harassment, intimidation, censorship and financial coercion targeting independent media and journalists; whereas on August 26, 82 X accounts operated by Kurdish politicians, journalists and media houses were blocked by a court for “making terrorist propaganda”; whereas 90% of the national media are under government control;

1. Condemns the sentence of Bülent Mumay as well as the judicial harassment, intimidation, censorship and financial coercion faced by independent media and journalists; calls on Turkish authorities to end all harassment and protect independent journalists and guarantee the right to information in the country;

2. Deplores the serious backsliding on fundamental freedoms and human rights in Türkiye and the continued erosion of democracy and the rule of law;

3. Urges the authorities to put an end to the repression of political opponents, human rights defenders, civil servants, journalists, writers and academics; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all people arbitrarily detained such as Figen Yüksekdağ, Selahattin Demirtaş, Osman Kavala, Çiğdem Mater, Mine Özerden, Can Atalay, and Tayfun Kahraman, and that the charges against them be immediately dropped or cancelled; calls to cease the judicial persecution against Hakan Altınay, Mücella Yapıcı and Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi, ahead of their next hearing on 9 October 2024;

4. Calls on Turkish authorities to put an end to the systematic repression against opposition voices including HDP;

5. Strongly condemns the use of the justice system for political purposes; requires to ensure the independence of the judiciary, and to guarantee the right to due process; calls to hold accountable those violating press freedom in the country;

6. Urges the authorities to ensure that existing legislation – in particular the anti-terror Law, the Criminal Code, the law on assemblies and demonstrations and the law on disinformation– and protected communication in messenger services and free communication in social media , is revised to comply with international standards;

7. Requires to the Council to ensure that full implementation by Türkiye of its rule of law and fundamental rights obligations be an integral part of the EU-Türkiye relationship; in that sense, condemns that despite the continued erosion of democracy and the rule of law, the EU has announced further financial support to Türkiye for restrictions on the entry of refugees and migrants to the EU; reiterates that Human Rights should not be undermined by migration management, commercial interests or counter-terrorism actions;

8. Calls on the EU Member States to simplify the procedure for Turkish journalists to obtain Schengen visas;

9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the EU institutions, Member States, and the Turkish authorities.