The German newspaper Tageszeitung plans to release a special issue devoted to the situation of the media in Turkey on May 3, on World Press Freedom Day.
The texts would be published in German and Turkish languages. “During the discussions about the scandal around TV presenter Jan Boehmermann could appear a false sense that the freedom of the press was at stake not in Turkey but in Germany”, said Tageszeitung’s editor in chief. According to him on May 3, reporters of the German newspaper want to show solidarity with their Turkish counterparts.
Boehmermann read a poem with insults to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on March 31, during on-air satirical program on ZDF channel. On April 1, representative of the German Government Steffen Seibert said that the German Foreign Ministry received a verbal note from Turkey, which called to take actions in relation to the anchorman.
On April 15, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the government decided to grant the request and does not preclude the prosecution of a satirist. It later emerged that the voices inside the Cabinet shared equally, the Social Democrats made a stand against but the decisive became chancellor’s position.