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

B10‑0096/2024

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

(2024/2856(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Türkiye, in particular the ones of 13 September 2023 and of 5 May 2022,

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

A.  whereas on 6 May 2023, the journalist Bülent Mumay was given a suspended 20-month sentence because he reported on social media on alleged corruption schemes by a construction company with close links to the government; whereas on 20 August 2024, an appeals court upheld the conviction and ordered internet service providers to block access to news reports related the sentence; whereas Mumay’s only remaining legal recourse is filing an individual application to the Constitutional Court;

B. whereas Mumay’s case is emblematic of Erdoğan’s systemic pressure on media, which is characterised by legal persecution, censorship, financial pressure, hate speech and threats against journalists, resulting in self-censorship, lack of pluralism and depriving the Turkish public of access to relevant information regarding matters of public interest;

1. Is appalled that despite a decreased number of jailed journalists, Erdoğan’s decades-long systemic pressure campaign against journalists and critical voices continues and an important number of political prisoners remains; regrets that journalists, including Mumay, live under a constant threat of imprisonment for merely practising their profession;

2. Urges the Turkish authorities to immediately end their harassment campaign against independent media and critical voices and to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners, including Osman Kavala and Selahattin Demirtaş;

3. Expresses its deep concern about the political instrumentalisation of the Turkish judiciary and its systemic lack of independence; considers that in the case of Mumay, the judicial system may not be able to provide redress and may instead deliver a verdict that further violates the rights to freedom of expression and information;

4. Calls on the future HR/VP and the new Commission to put the situation of fundamental rights, the rule of law and democracy at the centre of their engagement with the Turkish authorities, to focus on working towards reversing the decades-long erosion of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms, including media freedom, freedom of expression and freedom of information, as well as pushing for the immediate implementation of Türkiye’s international obligations as a member of the Council of Europe, in particular for the swift and full implementation of the ECtHR verdicts concerning Kavala and Demirtaş;

5. Calls on the Commission, the Member States and the EU Delegation in Ankara to publicly condemn Türkiye’s harassment campaigns against independent media and critical voices, and to attend and monitor trials against journalists and political dissidents;

6. Calls on the Commission to focus EU funding for Türkiye on supporting civil society and independent media;

7. Calls on the EU and Member States to issue emergency visas and facilitate temporary shelter in the EU for journalists and human rights activists from Türkiye;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the HR/VP and the Government and National Assembly of Türkiye.