FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Latest News

• South Kurdistan government delays permission for Ronahî TV to open office 

  The South Kurdistan government is attacking the freedom of the press again by preventing the opening of an office for the television station Ronahî TV.
• International organisations call on Turkey to end persecution of journalists 

  17 free speech, human rights and journalists’ organizations  support Reporters Without Borders representative Erol Önderoğlu, whose retrial opens today.
• Court accuses MA journalist Aslan of "spreading provocative reports" 

  The investigation against journalist Mehmet Aslan has been concluded. The journalist is now charged with “membership of a terrorist organization” and “spreading provocative reports”.
• Court sentences MA journalist Sayılğan to 4 years' imprisonment 

  Mezopotamya Agency journalist Idris Sayılğan was sentenced to 4 years in prison.
• MA journalist says he was strip searched while entering prison 

  Mezopotamya Agency journalist Mehmet Aslan, who was arrested for his journalism activities, was strip searched at the entrance of the prison.
• Journalist detained by KDP forces in Duhok 

  The KDP administration’s repression against journalists continues increasingly.
• IFJ and EFJ call for release of journalists  

  The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) called for an immediate release of the four journalists detained by police in eastern Turkey on 6 October.
• Free press workers: We reject attempts to silence us 

  Free press workers once again reiterated that they will not bow to pressure at a press conference held in support of their arrested colleagues.
• "96 percent of the media in Turkey controlled by the government" 

  Turkey celebrates "Working Journalists' Day" on January 10. Numerous organizations and individuals - including President Erdogan - have spoken out on the issue of press freedom on this occasion.
• HDP: Nothing to celebrate for journalists in Turkey on 10 January 

  Today is 'Working Journalist Day' but in Turkey journalists has nothing to celebrate said HDP Press and Propaganda deputy co-chair, Tayip Temel.
• Mezopotamya Agency journalist Aslan sent to prison 

  Repression of journalists continued in Turkey. Mezopotamy Agency correspondent Mehmet Aslan was remanded in custody in Antalya for alleged membership in a terrorist organization.
• HDP commemorates journalist Metin Göktepe 

  The HDP drew attention to the fact that the free press is still the target of the AKP-MHP government today in its commemoration of murdered journalist Metin Göktepe.
• Group staging sit-in in front of HDP building attacks JINNEWS journalist in Amed 

  JINNEWS journalist Gülistan Azak, who went to HDP Amed provincial building to follow the news, was attacked by the group sitting in front of the building with the police.
• Police take Mezopotamya Agency journalist Aslan into custody 

  Mezopotamya Agency reporter Mehmet Aslan was taken into custody following a raid carried out on his home within the scope of political genocide operations.
• 79 journalists detained, 24 jailed in Turkey in 2020 

  DFG announced that 79 journalists were detained in 2020 and 24 of them were imprisoned.
• Old Bailey rules today on extradition of Assange to the US 

  Wiki Leaks founder, journalist Juliane Assange faces ruling on extradition to the US.
• DIHA reporter sentenced to 7,5 years in prison 

  DIHA reporter Mazlum Dolan was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison on terror charges.
• RSF: At least 50 journalists killed in 2020 

  A total of 50 journalists were killed worldwide in 2020, said Reporters Without Borders.
• Journalist Bulut: The AKP-MHP regime is afraid of a free press 

  Journalist Zeynel Bulut said that the free press shows the truth and exposes the real face of the state which is why it became the target of the government. The AKP-MHP government, he said, is afraid of the facts and wants to keep them in the dark.
• Police take Jinnews journalist into custody in Dersim 

  Turkish police has taken Jinnews reporter Gulistan Azak into custody in Pertek, Dersim.
• Özgür Gündem main trial held in Istanbul 

  Human Rights Association co-chair Eren Keskin, who is tried in the main trial of Özgür Gündem newspaper, said that she would not make any further statement as she did not believe that there would be an objective trial.
• Journalist Dindar Karataş faces 15 years in prison 

  Journalist Dindar Karataş, imprisoned in Turkey, faces 15 years in prison for his critical reporting on the deadly crackdown by Turkish security forces on Kurdish civilians.
• Prison sentence asked for journalists criticizing Afrin offensive 

  Three left-wing journalists in Turkey are to be sentenced on terror charges for their criticism of Turkey's war of aggression against Afrin. They have already spent several months in pre-trial detention.
• Journalist Can Dündar sentenced to over 27 years in prison 

  Turkish journalist Can Dündar was sentenced in absentia to more than 27 years in prison.
• Cyber-attack on women's news agency Jinnews 

  The website of Jinnews, the voice of women, was made inaccesible on Monday night. Jinnews, which has been blocked for the 15th time, is now under intense cyber-attack.