Turkey indicts 2 Kurdish journalists on terrorism charges
Istanbul, October 5, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists urged Turkish authorities on Thursday to immediately release journalists Dicle Müftüoğlu and Sedat Yılmaz, who have been held in pretrial detention for more than five months, and to stop using terrorism legislation to criminalize journalists. Müftüoğlu and Yılmaz, both editors at the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya News Agency, were…
Turkish courts keep 2 reporters in pretrial detention, grant bail to bodyguards charged with attack on a journalist
Istanbul, September 15, 2023—Turkish authorities should not continue imprisoning journalists for their reporting while granting bail to those charged with assaulting them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Thursday, September 14, the 2nd Tatvan Court of Penal Peace granted bail to Yücel Baysali and Engin Kaplan, two bodyguards of the mayor of the…
Turkish authorities detain 5 journalists over tweet, 1 remains in custody
Istanbul, July 26, 2023—Turkish authorities should immediately release reporter Fırat Can Arslan and stop treating journalists like criminals, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. On Tuesday, July 25, Turkish police detained Arslan, a reporter for the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya News Agency, at his house in the capital city of Ankara, in relation to an investigation…
Journalists attacked, critical outlets investigated in Turkey election aftermath
Istanbul, May 30, 2023–Turkish authorities should investigate multiple incidents of journalists being attacked or obstructed from reporting during the country’s recent election, and the media watchdog RTÜK should treat all outlets equally regardless of political stance, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. During the second round of presidential elections on Sunday, May 28, at…
Turkish courts find 4 journalists guilty on criminal charges ahead of elections
Istanbul, May 9, 2023—Turkish authorities should not contest the appeals of the four journalists recently sentenced by multiple courts because of their reporting or commentary and should ensure that the media is not threatened by judicial harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Since April 20, authorities have sentenced journalists Sinan Aygül, Bülent…
At least 4 journalists formally arrested, 1 more detained ahead of Turkey elections
Istanbul, April 28, 2023 — Turkish authorities should immediately release all journalists and media workers imprisoned for their work and stop interfering with the press ahead of the country’s May 14 presidential and parliamentary elections, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Tuesday, April 25, authorities in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır detained at…
Turkish police detain at least 9 journalists in Diyarbakır crackdown
Istanbul, April 25, 2023—Turkish authorities should release all recently detained journalists held in retaliation for their work and ensure that the country’s anti-terror laws are not weaponized against the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. In the early hours of Tuesday, April 25, authorities in 21 cities throughout the southeastern province of Diyarbakır…
Turkish courts find 2 journalists guilty on terror charges
Istanbul, April 18, 2023—In response to Turkish authorities’ sentencing of two journalists on charges of spreading terrorist propaganda Tuesday, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement of condemnation: “By issuing prison sentences to Mehmet Güleş and İsmail Çoban, Turkish authorities have yet again abused the country’s anti-terror legislation,” said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey…
Turkey charges 17 Kurdish journalists, media worker with membership in a terrorist organization
Istanbul, April 14, 2023 – Turkish authorities must immediately release all imprisoned members of the press and stop prosecuting journalists who cover Kurdish issues, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On Wednesday, April 12, the 4th Court of Serious Crimes in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır charged 17 Kurdish journalists and a media worker…
Turkey indicts 10 journalists on terrorism charges
Istanbul, February 21, 2023 – Turkish authorities must stop charging members of the press with terrorism and release all jailed journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On February 8, the Ankara chief prosecutor’s office indicted 10 Kurdish journalists, nine of whom have been under pretrial arrest since late October, on the charge of…