"We stand in solidarity with our friends and colleagues at Zaman in categorically denouncing this latest assault on press freedom in Turkey. The appointment of trustees to run the media company is an outrageous step and one that further undermines the Turkish people's ability to access alternative sources of news and information. Distressingly, the practise of influencing the direction of a media company is becoming a favoured tactic of the Turkish authorities, one that flies in the face of internationally agreed standards for the freedom of the press and that severely erodes Turkey's democratic credentials."

Read WAN-IFRA's protest letter.