Wilson backs press freedom
Güncelleme Tarihi:
ANKARA - The outgoing U.S. ambassador to Turkey said Friday that freedom of press was very important for a democracy. Ross Wilson hosted diplomacy correspondents at his residence before his departure from Turkey early next week. He said he respected what journalists were doing and urged them to continue performing their job.
"Freedom of press is very important for any democracy. You need to do your job. Being a journalist is not easy, it's not also easy in the U.S., just keep doing it, remember the role you and free media plays in any democratic society," he said.
Accreditations canceled
His remarks came after the Prime Ministry revoked the press accreditation of seven veteran journalists who had covered the ministry, a practice that was deemed "censorship" by the International Press Institute.
Wilson said freedom of press was an important power in all democracies.
In his farewell speech, Wilson said it had been an honor to represent the United States in Turkey, which he described as one of the most important countries for his country in terms of bilateral ties.
The most challenging period during his tenure in Ankara was between Sept. 2007 and April 2008, according to Wilson, when bilateral ties strained over the Armenian genocide resolution passed by a U.S. congressional committee, as well as the fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.
Wilson said confidence has been rebuilt between the two countries and that the sharing of intelligence is crucial in the ongoing fight against the PKK.
Fourth time in Turkey
His successor James Jeffrey will come to Ankara in early December, said Wilson, adding that Jeffrey, who speaks Turkish, would be the first U.S. ambassador to serve in Turkey for the fourth time.
The outgoing ambassador said he was most impressed by the hospitality of the Turkish people and shared an anecdote in which a young local approached him during his visit to Trabzon last April and asked if he was Ross Wilson.
Wilson said he has not yet watched "Mustafa," a new documentary that chronicles Turkey's founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's life from childhood to death. But he said he was planning to see the much-discussed film.