This briefing paper presents the keys issues relating to the right to freedom of expression and the media in Turkey, Syria, Iran, Armenia and Kurdistan, Iraq, as well as cross-regionally. It provides examples of violations of this right indicative of widespread practice and illustrates how violations of media freedom impact disproportionately on members of the Kurdish communities. Finally, it offers a number of key recommendations for how state authorities, civil society and the international community can address the problems relating to media freedom in the Kurdish regions.

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