'Press': When journalists become fallen angels

In his debut feature, director and writer Sedat Yılmaz follows a group of journalists in Diyarbakır during the early 1990s, when Turkey topped the list of countries with the greatest number of journalists killed. ‘Press’ is at once very real and heartbreaking


Hrant Dink, Abdi İpekçi, Ahmet Taner Kışlalı and Uğur Mumcu are a few of the names who have given journalism a whole new meaning in Turkey since the late 1970s. They all were killed pursuing truth, human rights and the right to information. It’s hard to imagine Turkey leading any list when it comes to freedom of speech and freedom of the media. But there is actually one list that Turkey tops: the greatest number of journalists killed in any country in 1992.

In fact, the number of journalists killed between 1992 and 1994 is a staggering 30, while the number becomes even more alarming with 17 distributors and sellers included into the list. Director and writer Sedat Yılmaz’s recent drama Press delves into this disgraceful period when the Turkish press received the most fatal hits in its history.

Click here for full article (Hürriyet Daily News)