FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

Latest News

• Journalist fined for exposing Minister's corruption in Van 

  Journalist İdris Yılmaz was fined for exposing the corruption that had taken place in Van’s Erciş district
• Number of jailed journalists in Turkey rises to 171 

  Free Journalists Initiative announced that the number of journalists jailed in Turkey rose to 171 with the arrest of Cumhuriyet newspaper’s Chief Editor Oğuz Güven.
• Journalist-writer Murat Çelikkan receives 18 months jail sentence 

  Journalist-author Murat Çelikkan, who joined the Editor-in-Chief on Watch campaign in solidarity with the Özgür Gündem newspaper shut down by the AKP government, has been given a jail sentence of 18 months.
• Journalist seeks asylum abroad due to KDP's threats 

  Journalist Cihan Özgür, who the Turkish state wants KDP to repatriate to Turkey, was forced to leave Kurdistan due to the threat of repatriation.
• Access to Kurdish daily Rojeva Medya website banned 

  Access to the website of Kurdish daily Rojeva Medya has been banned.
• Attempts against Kurdish televisions face international protests 

  Protests are increasing in Europe against the AKP and EutelSat that attempt to shut down the Kurdish television networks.
• Kurdish TV representatives meet with Belgian Journalists Union 

  Representatives of Kurdish TV networks Stêrk TV, Ronahî TV and News Channel, which French satellite company Eutelsat seeks to shut down on Turkey's demand, met with the director of Belgian Journalists Union.
• KurdSat TV journalist murdered in Hewlêr 

  KurdSat TV presenter Soran Saqizî has been murdered in Hewlêr. Hewlêr police claimed Saqizî’s death is a suicide while KurdSat said “There is a dark smoke screen over this.”
• PYD's Moslem calls for solidarity with Kurdish TV networks 

  Yeni Özgür Politika newspaper celebrated the 11th year anniversary of its foundation and vowed to enhance struggle and solidarity against the Turkish state’s pressures on the free press.
• “KDP detained journalist Ibrahim Abbas because of his ideas" 

  The wife and sister of journalist Ibrahim Abbas who was taken into custody by KDP asayish in a house raid the day before stated that Abbas was detained only because of his ideas.
• News Channel calls for action against attacks on Kurdish press 

  ​​​​​​​News Channel, one of the Kurdish televisions Eutelsat seeks to suspend the broadcast of on Turkey's demand, stressed that a stronger legal conviction and stronger political reaction is needed to deter those that jeopardise the freedom of press.
• KDP asayish detain a journalist in a house raid 

  Journalist İbrahim Abbas who criticised the Barzani family in a post on social media was taken into custody in a house raid.
• Belgium Flemish MPs discuss Eutelsat action against Kurdish press 

  A session was held in the Flemish Parliament of Belgium on Eutelsat’s efforts on AKP’s demand to shut down Kurdish televisions. The message from the session was that the pressure in question is unacceptable.
• Journalist Demiralp: Eutelsat officials could be put on trial 

  Journalist Maxime Demiralp said: “Eutelsat could be put on trial for the practices the Kurdish media are subjected to.”
• Kurdish televisions: We will protect our networks 

  Authorities at Kurdish television networks that could be shut down at Turkey's request said: “They want to shut us down because we report on the oppression and massacres geared towards the Kurdish people."
• RTÜK declares itself the inspector of Kurdish TV networks 

  Targeting Kurdish television networks in tandem with Eutelsat, RTÜK has issued a scandalous decree.
• Eutelsat seeks to suspend the broadcasting of Kurdish TV channels 

  Eutelsat has taken action to suspend the broadcasting of Kurdish television channels Ronahi TV, NewsChannel and Sterk TV on Turkey's demand.
• Access banned for newspaper Özgürlükçü Demokrasi’s website 

  Another access ban was issued for the website of newspaper Özgürlükçü Demokrasi, demokrasi16.com.
• Italian journalist deported after two weeks in custody 

  Journalist Gabriele Del Grande who was taken into custody in Hatay province on April 9 has been released and deported today.
• Report on what journalists in Turkey have been through in 2017 

  “Despite all the pressures and obstructions, arrests, deaths, exile and censorship, the Kurdish press grew further and attained a significant place in the region and the world” said Free Journalists Association.
• YRD celebrates Kurdish Journalism Day 

  Democratic Press Union celebrated April 22, Kurdish Journalism Day and emphasized that "The free Kurdish press has an important mission in the creation of a free and democratic life for the Kurdish people."
• Police raid the house of journalist who documented Kurkut's death 

  Journalist Abdurrahman Gök who documented the murder by police of Kurdish university student Kemal Kurkut at Amed Newroz on March 21, had his house raided by police today.
• Journalist Meltem Oktay jailed due to reports on Nusaybin 

  Journalist Meltem Oktay has been re-arrested because of her reports during the curfews in Mardin's Nusaybin district.
• Police raid the office of Sendika.org media outlet, detain editor 

  Police raided the office of Sendika.org media outlet and detained editor Ali Ergin Demirhan related to the coverage of Sunday's referendum.
• Two female reporters for Newspaper Şûjin detained in Tatvan 

  Newspaper Şûjin reporters Nişmiye Güler and Zeynep Turgut have been taken into custody in Tatvan district of Bitlis.