Turkey: Democracy in Danger

Since the arrest of Istanbuls Mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu 19th March, thousands of protesters, including journalists, have been arrested in Turkey for taken part in the ongoing demonstrations. How can we support freedom of expression and rule of law in the country?

PEN Norway welcomes you to a lunch-time event and report launch where you will hear updates on the protests in Turkey, the arrests of prominent figures and the threat to democracy since the arrest of the Istanbul Mayor in March 2025. The event will focus on the current situation in Turkey, and discuss how we can work to promote human rights, freedom of expression and democracy in the country.

Register here

Time: Wednesday 23 April, 12.00 CET (snacks served from 11.45 CET)
Location: Kronesalen, Sentralen / live stream

You will hear from experts on Turkey:

– Burhan Sönmez, President, PEN International
– Jørgen Watne Frydnes, Director, PEN Norway
– Caroline Stockford, Turkey Advisor, PEN Norway
– Şerife Ceren Uysal, lawyer and legal adviser, PEN Norway

We will launch two groundbreaking reports – both illustrating that the judiciary system is failing to meet national and international human rights standards.

The Turkey Indictment Project Final Report 2025: Top legal experts from around the world examine the bases of court cases against journalists, lawyers and civil society actors in Turkey. The report also includes topical articles and interviews with newly jailed media figures.

The Kurdish Linguistic Rights in the Courtroom report: A survey of 225 Kurdish prisoners and defendants wishing to use their mother tongue in the judicial system. In this pioneering report we examine the barriers to accessing qualified interpreters and the treatment of those wishing to speak their first language in the courts.