Freedom of the Press

Latest News

• Another journalist receives jail sentence for social media content 

  Journalist Arif Aslan in Van has been charged with "aiding and abetting a terrorist organization" and given a jail sentence of 1 year and 3 months for content he shared on his Facebook account.
• Die Welt reporter Deniz Yücel remanded in custody 

  Deniz Yücel, Turkey correspondent for German daily Die Welt, has been formally arrested after 13 days in custody.
• Prison sentence approved for ANF journalist Ali Barış Kurt 

  The appeal made for the prison sentence given to journalist Ali Barış Kurt has been rejected. The Ankara Regional Court of Justice approved the verdict.
• Reporter for German daily 'Die Welt' taken into custody in Istanbul 

  German daily 'Die Welt' reporter Deniz Yücel has been taken into custody at Istanbul Department of Police where he appeared to give a statement.
• Journalist Selahattin Aslan taken into custody 

  The government of Turkey continues to arrest journalists from the opposition and Kurdish media.
• Reporting for JINHA considered a “crime” 

  In the indictment prepared for JINHA reporter Aysel Işık, her social media posts and her working for JINHA were deemed criminal.
• 7 newspaper distributors detained in Van in two days 

  The police raided the distribution office of the newspapers Özgürlükçü Demokrasi and Rojeva Medya in the province of Van.
• RSF: Journalism in Turkey in death throes after six months of emergency 

  RSF urged Turkey to repeal all the decree-laws that are incompatible with its constitution and its international obligations after examining the persecution of Turkey’s journalists and media under the state of emergency proclaimed six months ago.
• Arrested journalists sent to Metris Prison 

  Arrested journalists Ömer Çelik, Tunca Öğreten and Mahir Kanaat who were formally arrested yesterday evening have been sent to Metris R Type Closed Prison after 24 days in custody.
• Journalists released from custody: We are more determined now 

  The journalists released after 24 days in custody emphasized that the goal of ‘RedHack’ operation was to intimidate all journalists, and that they were now more determined to make the truth accessible to the people.
• 3 of the 6 journalists in custody for 24 days jailed 

  Out of the 6 journalists who had been detained on December 25, 2016, 3 have been formally arrested, while the other three were released on conditions of judicial control.
• Arrest demand for 6 journalists referred to court after 24 days in custody 

  Six journalists who have been held in custody for the last 24 days have been referred to court with a demand for their arrest after giving their statements at the prosecutor's office today.
• Media Report: 3 journalists killed, 299 detained, 80 arrested in 3 months 

  Turkey experiences the worst days of the history of its press, according to the quarterly Media Report of Contemporary Journalists Association’s Ankara Branch.
• 6 journalists in custody for 23 days to give their statements today 

  The six journalists that have been held in custody since December 25 will today give their statements at Istanbul police headquarters where they are held since.
• Police obstruct newspaper distribution in Adana 

  Police officers obstructed newspaper distribution and arbitrarily seized copies of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi and Rojeva Medya newspapers in Adana this morning.
• DIHA reporter detained in Bingöl for “terrorist propaganda” 

  DIHA reporter Semra Turan was detained by police in Bingöl on grounds of “spreading terrorist propaganda”.
• First court ruling in Özgür Gündem case: 15 months jail sentence 

  Human rights defender Şanar Yurdatapan was sentenced to 15 months in jail and a fine of 6,000 TL in the Özgür Gündem case against participants of the newspaper’s Editors-in-Chief on Watch campaign.
• Health of ETHA director on hunger strike in custody deteriorates 

  ETHA demanded the release of 6 journalists who are kept in custody for 20 days, and announced that the health of ETHA director Derya Otakan, who is on hunger strike since, is deteriorating.
• Med Nuçe and Newroz TV demand compensation from Eutelsat 

  Lawyers of MedNuçe and Newroz TV channels applied to the Paris Commercial Court on January 12 and demanded a compensation of 10 thousand euros for each day each channel is shut down.
• Ongoing detention of 6 journalists reported to the Council of Europe 

  IFJ reported the situation regarding 6 journalists in custody for 18 days in Istanbul, Turkey to the Council of Europe’s Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists.
• Defendants in Özgür Gündem case: The struggle will continue 

  Hearing in the case against the Özgür Gündem Editors-in-Chief on Watch campaign participants has resumed at an Istanbul court today.
• IFJ-EFJ call for the release of 6 journalists in custody for 17 days 

  The International and European Federations of Journalists called for the release of six journalists kept in custody since December 25 for publishing articles about the leaked emails of Berat Albayrak provided to the media by Redhack hacker group.
• YRA Congress held in Qamishlo 

  Rojava Free Press Union (YRA) Congress, which had been dedicated to the slain journalist Mustefa Mihemed, was held in Qamishlo.
• Lawyer not allowed to visit journalist Ahmet Şık in prison 

  Journalist Ahmet Şık was denied access to his lawyer in Metris Prison where he is kept, on the grounds that there was no recording equipment available.
• Journalists send a greeting photograph to their colleagues in prison 

  Over 100 journalists have sent a photograph of theirs to their colleagues in prison.