In the context of World Press Freedom Conference 2020, hosted by the Netherlands in collaboration with UNESCO, Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias participated online in the Ministerial Roundtable on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity. The Minister of Foreign Affairs began his intervention by stressing that the independence of news media is a necessary component of resilient democratic societies. Violence and the abuse of emergency restrictive measures against journalists cultivates a climate of fear that limits freedom of expression and the circulation of reliable information. In combination with a culture of impunity, intimidation often leads to self-censorship among news media personnel. The Minister underscored that the global public health crisis exacerbated already existing weaknesses. To respond to these risks, Greece prioritises substantial protection and promotion of press freedom. As Mr. Dendias noted, Greece is among the group of countries that submitted to the UN General Assembly a resolution on the safety of journalists and the issue of impunity. The Minister of Foreign Affairs added that Greece actively pursues collaboration with like-minded partners. Finally, he stressed that collective action must focus on effectively responding to violations of press freedom and on ensuring the safe conditions that are necessary for journalists to carry out their work independently. In this context it should be noted that, according to data from the NGO Committee to Protect Journalists, 47 journalists have been imprisoned in Turkey this year alone. It should also be highlighted that press freedom is under ever greater threat in Turkey, especially through arbitrary and restrictive interpretation of the law, political pressure, dismissals, closure of news outlets, imposition of fines, and frequent court proceedings against journalists.
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