FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Latest News

• Turkey continues to lead the worldwide decline in press freedom 

  "“The world’s biggest prison for professional journalists, Turkey (157th) has managed to fall another two places in the past year, which saw a succession of mass trials."
• Zehra Doğan: “Continue to write the news, without fear” 

  TJU administrators met with imprisoned journalist Zehra Doğan. Doğan said, “One understands the value of journalism better in prison,” and urged her colleagues on the outside to continue to write the news without fear.
• Sweden condemns repression on Kurdish media 

  Sweden reacted to the ongoing repression, closure, raids, attacks against the Kurdish press.
• Three journalists for ETHA taken into custody in Istanbul -UPDATE 

  Turkey, the largest prison for journalists in the world, continues its crackdown on journalists of the opposition and alternative media.
• SJF calls on the Swedish Government to support Kurdish media 

  Swedish Journalists Federation’s publication pointed out the attacks against Kurdish media and called for solidarity.
• Multiple sentences issued to Eren Keskin 

  Co-Executive Editor of shut down newspaper Özgür Gündem Eren Keskin’s sentence of a 3.000 Lira fine has been approved by the Court of Appeals.
• 3 year sentences for 3 journalists 

  Prison sentences have been issued for journalists in the case against the Demokratik Ulus newspaper.
• Three editors and an employee of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi jailed 

  Three editors and an employee of the usurped Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper have been jailed for alleged “membership to a terrorist organization”.
• Demand for arrest for 5 journalists 

  5 journalists from the Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper usurped by the AKP-MHP have been referred to court with a demand for their arrest.
• Two more executives of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi paper jailed 

  The usurped Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper’s grant holder İhsan Yaşar and managing editör İshak Yasul have been jailed.
• 20 workers of the usurped Gün Printing House jailed 

  20 workers of the usurped Gün Printing House have been jailed.
• Four journalists for Özgürlükçü Demokrasi detained in house raids 

  Four journalists were taken into custody during raids on the houses of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper workers.
• 170 journalists behind bars in Turkey 

  According to the Free Journalists Initiative, 41 journalists were detained in Turkey in March. There are 170 journalists in Turkish prisons.
• ‘We will continue with our Kurdish language journalism’ 

  The publisher of Welat newspaper, which no printing house can print for fear of government repercussion, said: “They fear our language, but we will continue with our Kurdish language journalism.”
• Printing houses do not publish Kurdish daily due to AKP’s threats 

  Printing houses in Turkey refuse to print the only Kurdish newspaper Welat due to the pressure and threats of the AKP regime.
• Press organizations condemn seizure of Ozgurlukcu Demokrasi 

  International press freedom organizations condemned Turkey’s seizure of Ozgurlukcu Demokrasi newspaper. 
• Writer Eliacik faces 7.5 years in prison for ‘PKK propaganda' 

  An Islamic scholar and writer who is known for his anti-capitalist activism is facing 7.5 years prison sentence for alleged PKK propaganda.
• Turkey appoints trustee to Ozgurlukcu Demokrasi newspaper UPDATE 

  Turkish police on Wednesday raided offices of Ozgurlukcu Demokrasi newspaper after the government appointed a trustee to the newspaper and a printing house.
• AEJ issued press cards for jailed journalist in Turkey 

  The Association of European Journalists (AEJ) issued press cards for jailed journalists in Turkey, ahead of the EU-Turkey summit in the Bulgarian city of Varna.
• Turkey prepares to block VPN traffic 

  The Turkish government is preparing to block VPN traffic within to country, an official from Information and Communication Technologies Authority said.
• CPJ sends an open letter to EU over press freedom in Turkey 

  Committee to Protect Journalists sent an open letter to Donald Tusk, president of the European Council and Jean-Claude Junker, president of the European Commission and called on both to raise press freedom with Turkey.
• Kurdish journalist detained in Diyarbakir 

  Turkish police detained Mezopotamian Agency reporter Esra Solin Dal in Diyarbakir.
• Cyber attack on Rojava’s ANHA news agency 

  There is no access to the website of the Rojava-based Hawar News Agency, ANHA.
• Turkey blocks access to twenty VPNs and ProtonMail 

  Turkish government banned access to twenty different virtual private networks and Protonmail.
• Two journalists sentenced to three years each 

  Two journalists have received three-year prison sentence each in the southern province of Adana.