Calling the recent confiscation of the Zaman Media Group in a government-backed court decision as another blow to media freedom in Turkey, European Parliament President Martin Schulz said he plans to raise the issue at an EU-Turkey summit to be held on Monday.
“The seizure of #Zaman is yet another blow to #pressfreedom in #Turkey. I intend to raise this issue on Monday @Ahmet_Davutoglu,” the senior European official tweeted on Saturday, mentioning Turkish President Ahmet Davutoğlu’s official Twitter account.
EU and Turkish heads of state and government convene to discuss possible solutions to the refugee crisis on Monday in Brussels.
An İstanbul court appointed trustees over the Feza Media Group, which includes Zaman newspaper, Today’s Zaman and the Cihan News Agency on Friday amid increasing pressure on critical media groups by the government. The seizure drew local and international backlash as press freedom continues to regress in Turkey.
