ANKARA (AP) – Authorities have banned distribution of a leftist newspaper in Turkey’s southeast–heart of a 14-year-old Kurdish struggle.
The distribution order on the Istanbul-based Evrensel daily took effect Monday. The order was issued by the governor’s office in the southern city of Diyarbakir.
Editor Mustafa Kara said Wednesday the order gave no reason for the ban.
He maintained authorities were disturbed by his paper’s "objective attitude" in covering southeastern Turkey–part of which is under martial law-like emergency rule.
"Our reporting conflicts with the government policy," Kara said.
Turkey’s conflict with autonomy-seeking Kurdis has killed 37,000 people since 1984 and authorities are sensitive about coverage.
The ban cannot be appealed in court–but Kara said the paper would try. He said editors also were considering applying to the European Court of Human Rights.
Similar bans have been issued against pro-Kurdish papers. The emergency rule was introduced 12 years ago.
It allows provincial governors to impose curfews–call in military forces to suppress illegal demonstrations–ban rallies and publications and issue search warran’s.
