"Turkish journalists fight to keep union
Jan 14, 2005
Journalists in Turkey are fighting government changes that could result in the disappearance of the country�s only independent trade union for newsroom staff.
Ercan Ipekci, general secretary of the Journalists� Union of Turkey (TGS), told the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) that the Turkish government plans to encourage the creation of trade unions that cover entire sectors of the industry. He believes this could lead to the extinction of an independent, autonomous trade union for journalists.
Seeing the issues of unionization and press freedom as inextricably linked, TGS has launched a �Press Freedom and to Say No to Censorship� campaign. Ipekci says that the union will mail protest letters to government officials and organize walk-outs for journalists.
IFJ General Secretary Aidan White commented on the situation while attending a meeting on journalism and democracy in Istanbul, Turkey, during the week of January 10. He said that journalists in Turkey must retain their right to organize. "
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