"Too often the authorities in Turkey and elsewhere use anti-terrorism laws to restrict press freedom," International Press Institute director Director David Dadge reacted in a statement.

"This is unacceptable," he said, adding that the move amounted to "government censorship of the media."

A Turkish court ruled Wednesday that editor Ozan Kilinc had "disseminated the propaganda of a terrorist organisation" by publishing reports and pictures on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its jailed leader in the Azadiya Welat daily in June 2009.

Kilinc, who also owns the newspaper, was found guilty of "committing a crime on behalf of the terrorist organisation."

In its 2009 annual press freedom report, IPI criticised Turkey's government for seeking to muzzle the press with verbal attacks, exaggerated fines and the use of Turkish laws to prosecute journalists.