"These violent reactions to our exhibition prove what we have been saying all along - that any criticism of the Turkish army elicits a brutal reaction from the authorities," said RSF secretary-general Robert Ménard. "Turkish journalists who criticise it are immediately prosecuted and one of them, Fikret Baskaya, has been in prison for nearly a year for writing an article in this vein.

"Turkey is supposed to be conforming to the democratic standards of the European Union, not exporting its rejection of free expression and criticism to the capitals of EU member-states," he added.

About 30 demonstrators sprayed the map and the pictures, especially that of Gen. Kivrikoglu, with red paint on May 9, after the Turkish authorities asked the French government to "punish" RSF and threatened to review ties with France. Visitors to the exhibition were shoved and attacked with tear gas by the protestors, who were accompanied by a dozen Turkish journalists. RSF repaired the exhibit and lodged a legal complaint. The next day, protestors again set upon visitors, after which the station authorities decided to dismantle the exhibition.

Some members of the Turkish media disapproved of the exhibition and claimed its purpose was to “come and trample on their faces.”