'Convicted' Turkish cartoonist wins press freedom prize

A Turkish cartoonist who has been convicted of helping "terrorist" organisations and sentenced to nearly four years in prison, was awarded a top prize on Thursday by the organisation Cartooning for Peace.

Musa Kart won the International Editorial Cartoons Prize, an honour awarded every two years by the Swiss group.

"The jury has chosen Musa Kart, iconic cartoonist of the Istanbul newspaper Cumhuriyet, for his talent and courage in the defence of freedom of expression," a statement from the group said.

Cumhuriyet - which means simply "Republic" - was set up in 1924 after the Turkish republic was founded in 1923.

It has been fiercely critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and has run front-page stories that have angered the Turkish head of state.

Last month, a Turkish court handed out multiple sentences to 13 journalists and executives from the paper for "aiding and abetting terror organisations", but the group remains free pending appeal.

Kart was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

The prize was judged by an official from Geneva's government, the head of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth, along with cartoonists from leading publications including Le Monde, the New York Times and The New Yorker.

"Musa Kart is both a witness and especially a victim of the deterioration of freedom of expression in Turkey," a Le Monde cartoonist known as Plantu said a statement.

Kart has denied the allegations against him.

Turkey is the world's worst jailer of journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Authorities have also arrested more than 110,000 people after the failed coup attempt as part of an ever-widening crackdown.

Some 153 journalists are behind bars in Turkey, according to the P24 press freedom group.

Turkey ranked 155 out of 180 countries listed in the 2017 World Press Freedom index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Turkey says the crackdown is needed to eradicate the influence of the US-based preacher Fethullah Gulen who it blames for the failed putsch but critics say it has included anyone who dares criticise President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.