I was pleased on 16 February to visit the editorial offices of Yeni Şafak with a number of EU Consuls-General.
We went to Yeni Şafak on a “geçmiş olsun” visit after last week’s attacks on Yeni Şafak and Yeni Akit. This followed similar visits to Hurriyet and Sabah after attacks in 2015. The UK condemns all such attacks unreservedly.
Respect for freedom of expression and the right of media to operate without restriction are fundamental in any democratic society. Freedom of the press should be respected by all. It is vital in a democracy that a diverse range of views can be expressed without fear or intimidation.
I was pleased during our visit to hear leading figures at Yeni Şafak welcome the solidarity they had received following the attacks from a wide range of Turkish media outlets – including from those of a different political persuasion. Such solidarity between media organisations, whatever their political complexions, is valuable.
As the biographer Evelyn Beatrice Hall wrote in her book “The Friends of Voltaire”, as an illustration of Voltaire’s beliefs: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”.
Follow Leigh Turner on Twitter @LeighTurnerFCO