English PEN Launches Campaign on FoE in Turkey

Throughout 2013, English PEN is campaigning on freedom of expression in Turkey. The campaign aims to raise awareness of current threats to writers, publishers, translators and journalists; to promote literature from Turkey in translation; and to engage in public discussion and debate with writers, artists and intellectuals from Turkey.

According to PEN International’s most recent case list (July – December 2012) there are currently more cases of concern to PEN in Turkey than in any other country in the world. Meanwhile, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that Turkey is now the ‘world’s worst jailer’ of journalists, and Turkey was ranked 154 out of 179 countries in the 2013 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, having dropped six places in the last year.

A PEN delegation including our director Jo Glanville visited Turkey in November 2012 and had a number of high level meetings, including with Turkish President Abdullah Gül. Turkey is the Market Focus country at this year’s London Book Fair (15 – 17 April 2013) where English PEN will be featuring international and UK-based authors at both the English PEN Literary Café and the Literary Translation Centre. We look forward to meeting and hosting a range of writers and publishers from Turkey during the fair and throughout the year, and to further developing English PEN and our supporters’ understanding and appreciation of Turkey’s writers and writing. (EA/BM)