ANKARA - A Turkish court has sentenced the editor of a Kurdish newspaper to 21 years in prison for printing what it called Kurdish rebel propaganda, a ruling likely to raise concern about press freedom in the EU candidate country.

ANKARA - A Turkish court has sentenced the editor of a Kurdish newspaper to 21 years in prison for printing what it called Kurdish rebel propaganda, a ruling likely to raise concern about press freedom in the EU candidate country.

It was not the first time prosecutors in Turkey had sentenced editors of the Azadiya Welat daily, which in the past has run pictures of the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerrilla group, branded a terrorist organisation.

Turkey's record on rights for its Kurdish minority have long been obstacles in Ankara's bid to become a member of the EU.

Judges in Diyarbakir on Wednesday found Ozan Kilinc guilty on charges of disseminating terrorist propaganda on behalf of the PKK, state-run Anatolian news agency reported. - Reuters