There are currently more than 70 journalists in prison in Turkey whose reports and comments are obviously a thorn in the side of the Turkish government. Many have been awaiting trial for months, others have already been sentenced to several years in prison. Together with dozens of other press officers from various opposition media who are facing repression outside the prison walls, the regime's message is clear: the space for freedom of expression is shrinking more and more and anyone who expresses criticism pays a high price.

At least ten of the media professionals currently imprisoned in Turkey are women. To demand their release, the Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform (MKGP) has launched a petition and is calling on the public to support it. "The freedom of women journalists who have been arrested and prosecuted for their reporting is one of the most important foundations of press freedom. We do not have to be a country where press freedom does not exist and media has lost its neutrality. Our duty and responsibility as media professionals include making information accessible, being the voice of the silent, exposing grievances, injustice and human rights violations. As MKGP, we stand with our colleagues and all women journalists in Turkey. Support us in raising our voices for press freedom."

The MKGP's campaign can be signed on the Change.org petition platform.

In Turkey, around 95 per cent of the media is owned by the state or controlled by companies close to the Erdogan regime. The pressure on independent journalism has increased in recent years. Especially since the pseudo-coup in July 2016, the window for media critical of the government is closing more and more. According to the Dicle Firat journalists' association (DFG), there are currently at least 72 journalists in prison in Turkey. While this is a significant decrease from the peak of 170 in 2017, at least as many media professionals are currently subject to judicial persecution. The organisation Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranks Turkey 149th out of 180 in the international press freedom ranking.