Free Press Under Fire: The Case of Northern Cyprus Susan J. Drucker Professor Department of Journalism/Mass Media Studies he fate of Wall Street Journal reporter ment in Athens on April 16, 2003, and TDaniel Pearl at the hands of Islamic they will become full members on May militants in Pakistan last year made 1, 2004. Pressure for a settlement has headlines, but journalists around the reached a new phase with public world suffer daily, in many cases invisi- demonstrations in the north, some call- bly, as is the case of the journalists of ing for the resignation of Turkish Cyprus. In the case of Cyprus, perhaps it Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas, reflecting is the size of the island or the duration the desire for a solution that would of the “Cyprus problem” that has result- allow the entire island to reap the bene- ed in the neglect of the outside world. fits of EU membership. Pressure for Unfortunately, journalists are threatened agreement mounts steadily, fueled by throughout the world, and Cyprus internal and external factors. serves as a striking example of the high The Cyprus Republic’s constitution price members of the press continue to recognizes the right to freedom of pay for their work and the inattention of speech and expression in any form and the world. includes the right to receive and impart In 1974 hostilities between Greek information and ideas without regard to Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots and Turkish frontiers. The 1989 Press Law safe- forces resulted in the division of the guards the unhindered circulation of Buffer zone: “no man's land” island of Cyprus into two de facto, newspapers. Media laws in the south autonomous areas with 58 percent of Volatile Times have recently been revised in the the island’s land area governed by the mandatory process of harmonization Greek-Cypriot government called the Fall 2002/winter 2003 has been an required as part of EU accession. Republic of Cyprus, and 36 percent of unprecedented time in this protracted For more than 20 years the only the island governed by the Turkish conflict. On November 11, 2002, U.N. exchange of newspapers took place at Cypriots called the Turkish Republic of Secretary-General Kofi Annan conveyed the Ledra Palace checkpoint in Nicosia. Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The legiti- to the two sides a detailed plan for a Those papers were generally destined for macy of the latter is only recognized by comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus governmental offices and journalists, but the government of Turkey. A narrow problem, a plan that was revised by were unavailable to the public at large on U.N. buffer zone (Green Line) separates December 10, 2002. This plan has been either side. Newspapers on both sides the entities comprising 3 percent of the the subject of face-to-face talks in are generally financed and supported by island (with British sovereign bases Cyprus between the leaders of the two political parties. In the south, there are completing the stakeholders of territo- communities under the auspices of the 10 Greek-language dailies, one English- ry). In the intervening 28 years, freedom U.N. On December 13, 2002, the language morning newspaper, and several of expression and of the press has been European Council at Copenhagen weeklies with a total average circulation undermined with severe restrictions decided that Cyprus (i.e., The Republic of 65,000-70,000, to serve a population placed on communicating across the of Cyprus) together with nine other can- of approximately 790,000. The popula- Green Line. didate countries would accede to the tion in Northern Cyprus (less than The denial of opportunities for face- European Union with or without a set- 200,000) has a choice of no less than 10 to-face interaction and limitations on tlement of the Cyprus problem. As of daily papers, giving the tiny area one of telephones, postal service, and distribu- this writing the U.N. had set February the highest concentrations of newspa- tion of newspapers and magazines reflect 28, 2003, as a deadline for agreement on pers per capita anywhere in the world, a form of “strategic non-communica- the Annan plan. Cyprus (united or but the mainland Turkish papers sell tion” imposed in an effort to insulate or divided) along with the other new EU best. Two conservative Turkish dailies, influence perceptions and opinions. members will sign an accession agree- Sabah and Hurriyet, have a combined 7 daily circulation of 13,000, while sales of dismissed for describing Turkey as an the largest Turkish Cypriot paper, Kibris, “occupying force in Cyprus.” Avrupa’s never exceeds 10,000 copies per day. printing machines and revenues were While the policy of restrictions on com- confiscated by the government, but it munication remains in place on both continued operations by using the sides, the Internet ironically makes many premises of another paper. Finally, on newspapers available throughout the December 15, 2001, Avrupa closed itself island (and the world), thereby changing down, throttled by a succession of fur- longstanding access and readership pat- ther prison sentences and fines. Sener terns. This convergence of media makes Levent, the editor, announced that it it possible to read the major dailies would be reborn as Afrika, ironically online on either side of the Green Line. explaining that Cyprus “no longer faces Both mainstream publications and voic- towards Europe, but instead is turning es in the dissident press reach newly back towards prehistory, towards reconfigured and diverse audiences. Africa.” He noted that the “law of the jungle” operated in northern Cyprus. Journalists as Targets The journalists of Afrika soon reported Journalists have consistently been plans to challenge the continued use of the victims of division. Journalists on military courts in northern Cyprus. both sides are unable to move freely Other cases of harassment and intimida- across the Green Line to gather news or tion were reported as well. The to attend press conferences. They have Committee for the Protection of been frequent targets in Northern Journalists, a New York-based nonparti- Cyprus. In July 1996 Turkish Cypriot san, nonprofit, international organization political columnist Kutlu Adali of the “All the news that is fit to print” that monitors abuses against the press, leftist daily newspaper Yeni Duzen, was was told by Sevgul Uludag, a journalist Avrupa has always been to extinguish shot and killed near his home in with the progressive, Turkish-language the Dentash regime and foster a split Lefkosia. Adali had been an outspoken online magazine Hamamboculeri, that in between Turkish Cypriots, Turkey and critic of Turkish Cypriot administration August 2002 Turkish Cypriot militants policies and used his column to advo- the Turkish military. Avrupa has faced threatened her and the publication in cate peaceful cooperation between par- numerous legal problems over the years retaliation for articles that criticized the ties. In the north, a pattern of censor- in response to its reporting. Editors and northern Cypriot regime. ship, intimidation, detention, harass- reporters have been arrested, impris- By the summer of 2002 Sener Levant ment and imprisonment of journalists oned and put on trial, and editorial and reporter Memduh Ener were con- persists. Threats continue to be made offices have been shut down. In 2000 six victed of insulting the Turkish Cypriot against Adali’s family. In September reporters were tried by a military court leader in an article published on July 29, 2002 it was reported that his widow’s for defaming Mr. Dentash. In an effort to 1999. The article was about Turkish dogs had been killed as a symbolic silence the voice of opposition, the Cypriot leader Rauf Denktas, who was threat to other journalists. Ilkay Adali, reporters were fined $260,000. On May said to have sent his wife and children to the journalist’s widow, has filed an appli- 24, 2001, a bomb blast ripped through Turkey with the help of Greek Cypriot cation with the European Commission Avrupa’s printing office, destroying the leader Glafkos Clerides during an out- of Human Rights in Strasbourg charg- paper production machines. On break of violence between Greek ing that the Turkish government violat- November 9, 2001, the newspaper’s Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots in 1964, ed the right to life, prohibitions against computers were seized by orders of the which resulted in an early phase of divi- degrading treatment, right to a family Turkish Cypriot judicial authorities due sion on the island. The journalists were life, freedom of expression, freedom to “unpaid taxes.” Pressure on Avrupa charged with the offense of the “possibil- of association and other rights. A intensified in early December 2001 as ity to harm the president.” The six- decision in the case of Adali v. Turkey the two leaders, Clerides and Dentash, month prison sentence was the highest is imminent. prepared to meet, spurred by the possi- ever given to a journalist in Cyprus. A frequent target of the regime in bility of Cypriot accession to the Ultimately, Levant and Ener were the north has been Avrupa, a daily news- European Union. Turkish Cypriot released from prison on October 2, 2002, paper known for its criticism of Turkish police ransacked Avrupa’s editorial after an appeals court reduced the prison Cypriot leader Rauf Dentash. The gov- offices after an article appeared report- term to six weeks. Subsequently new ernment has claimed that the mission of ing that a Turkish Cypriot teacher was charges were filed against Sener Levent 8 and three journalists. In an interview press or, more significantly, a muzzled with the Committee for the Protection of press may have on historic developments Journalists, Levent indicated that his on both a national and international staff and their families continue to stage.