FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Latest News

• Free Press Association holds 5th congress in Qamishlo 

  The 5th Congress of the Free Press Association started in Qamishlo.
• Censorship in Turkey: JinNews website blocked 

  The website of the news agency JinNews has been blocked in Turkey following a decision by the telecommunications authority.
• ECPMF calls for the release of four Kurdish journalists 

  The arrest of journalists violates not only the rights to liberty and freedom of expression of the reporters themselves and also the right to information of the general public, said ECPMF.
• Court sentences journalist Temizkan to 15 months in prison 

  Journalist Sabiha Temizkan was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison on the grounds of her social media posts. The court did not delay the sentence.
• Court says digital material seized at Özgür Gündem office missing 

  A Turkish court announced that the digital material seized in the raid on Özgür Gündem were missing.
• Trustee in Amed destroys memory of murdered journalist  

  In the city of Amed, a street bears the name of journalist Hafız Akdemir, who was murdered by Contra-guerrilla in 1992. The state-imposed city's trustee had the name of the paper removed.
• Newspaper distributor taken into custody in Van 

  The Turkish regime’s repression against free press continues unabated.
• Freedom on the Net report: Internet 'not free' in Turkey, again 

  Freedom House has released its “Freedom on the Net 2020: The Pandemic’s Digital Shadow” report. Covering the period from June 1, 2019 to May 31, 2020, the report has once again said that Turkey’s “freedom in the world status” is not free.
• Jailed journalist Uğur: They can't silence the voice of truth 

  Journalist Cemil Uğur sent a message from prison: “Many governments in history have arrested journalists who brought the truth to the public, but they have never been able to cut the voice of truth. They cannot afford it."
• Journalist Ishak Yasul sentenced to prison in Istanbul 

  The former editor-in-chief of the closed down daily Özgürlükçü Demokrasi, Ishak Yasul, has been sentenced to ten months in prison in Istanbul.
• Council of Europe discusses the arrest of journalists in Van 

  The journalists in question documented how two civilians were thrown from a military helicopter after getting arrested by Turkish soldiers.
• Jailed journalist: We will protect the honor of our profession 

  Imprisoned Journalist Adnan Bilen says; "We will continue to keep journalism alive."
• YPJ Press Center commemorates martyrs 

  Commemorating the press martyrs, YPJ said, "They shared every moment of the war and resistance in severe conditions with the public. We will write the history of the liberation of our lands with their pen."
• HDP says 130 journalists faced trial in the last three months 

  Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Muş MP, Şevin Coşkun, disclosed the quarterly press report. According to the report 130 journalists were tried in the last three months and 10 of them were sentenced to more than 51 years in prison.
• Four journalists jailed for reporting on the “helicopter torture” 

  Four Kurdish journalists have been imprisoned in Van for reporting the cases of two civilians who were thrown from helicopter by Turkish soldiers.
• DFG reports rights violations against journalists in September 

  The Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) in Amed published its 'September Report on Violations of Journalists'.
• MA reporter taken into custody in Şırnak 

  The Turkish regime’s repression and attacks against Kurdish press continue uninterrupted.
• 'Kurdish women journalists won't hesitate seeking truth' 

  The Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform celebrated Kurdish Women Journalists Day. "We never hesitate to seek truth, and we won’t start doing it now.”
• Turgut's brother: They arrest journalists for being our voice 

  Naif Turgut, brother of Servet Turgut, who died from the injuries he sustained after being thrown from the military helicopter, protested the arrest of the journalists who exposed the horrible events.
• Lawyer restriction for journalists detained in Van 

  After 4 journalists were detained in Van, a 24-hour lawyer restriction was imposed.
• Group from Mannheim takes over Freedom for Öcalan Vigil  

  The Freedom for Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan Vigil in front of the Council of Europe building in Strasbourg continues this week with a new group of activists from the city of Mannheim.
• Police raid Mezopotamya Agency Van office, detain 4 journalists 

  Turkish police raided the Mezopotamya Agency Van office and the homes of the journalists who documented with a hospital report that villagers Turgut and Şiban were thrown from a helicopter by soldiers. Four journalists were detained.
• Press In Arrest says that 64 journalists were tried in September 

  Press In Arrest announced its “September 2020 Press Freedom Report”. The report pointed out that 64 journalists were tried in September.
• Police detain journalist Hakkı Boltan 

  Journalist Hakkı Boltan was detained following a raid in his home this morning as part of the political genocide operation.
• Turkey blocks access to Nûçe Ciwan Agency website 

  Nûçe Ciwan Agency (Youth News Agency) said in a statement that the Turkish state once again blocked its website.