WOMEN IN THE FIRING LINE: CYPRIOT JOURNALISTS UNITE TO TELL HOW MEDIA CAN BRIDGE THE GULF

March 7, 2003 – (Internaitonal Federation of Journalists) Humanity, peace and reconciliation are keys to settlement of the Cyprus crisis and women have a crucial role to play in bridging the gulf that divides the community said two of the island's leading women journalists in Brussels today at a celebration for International Women's Day.

Sevgul Uludag, journalist from the Yeniduzen Daily from the Northern part of Cyprus, and Androula Gioargiadou, Editor in Chief in the Public Service Broadcasting, CyBC, buried some of their differences to lead a discussion on finding a route to reconciliation at the conference Courage in Coverage: The Cypriot Conflict, jointly organised by the European Federation of Journalists and the International Labour Organisation.

The conference, held on the eve of International Women's Day, focused on the contribution to conflict resolution of women in journalism and heard from both women that the wish for reunification is strong on both sides of the divide.

But serious violations against freedom of expression in the Northern part of Cyprus are continuing. "Since 2001 there has been a concerted media campaign by the Denktash-regime against journalists", said Sevgul Uludag who told of the use psychological terror to isolate journalists and a regime that does not shy away from intimidating journalists by all means, including death threats. She herself has been the victim of such a campaign. She showed papers, in which she made front-page news with her photo accompanying headlines condemning her as a traitor, a European Union agent or informer.

The event, which was chaired by former CNN correspondent and war reporter Patricia Kelly, took place in the context of the ongoing peace process in Cyprus and the imminent enlargement of the European Union, which may open the way to the full restoration of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Cypriots.

Summing up, Patricia Kelly, whose reporting took her to Kosovo, Bosnia and the Middle East during the first Gulf war, said: "These
women from the two communities shed new light on a long and serious conflict which has not reached the front pages, because it is not a sexy conflict. Media sometimes fail to focus unless there are bullets flying around".

Further information: EFJ + 32 2 223 22 02.

The EFJ represents more than 280.000 journalists in 31 countries

From: http://www.ifj.org/default.asp?index=7&Language=EN