The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, journalists and media executives for press freedom, condemns the latest wave of assaults and detentions of journalists across Turkey. As national elections approach, journalists must be allowed to do their job of informing the public on critical issues and authorities must ensure their safety. IPI [...]
As Turkey prepares for presidential and parliamentary elections, press freedom and human rights groups demand that, whoever forms the next government, unwinding a decade of restrictions on media freedom must be a central priority for the country. The extent of the media freedom crisis facing Turkey is outlined in the International Press Institute’s (IPI) report [...]
Media freedom, freedom of expression, and human rights organisations call on Turkish authorities to stop the systematic harassment and intimidation of Kurdish journalists, media workers, media outlets, the lawyers that defend them, and Kurdish political party officials, give them access to legal counsel, disclose full details of charges brought and to ensure that they are [...]
The International Press Institute (IPI) and 20 press freedom, freedom of expression and human rights organizations call on Turkey’s broadcast regulator (RTÜK) to immediately stop fining broadcasters for their critical reporting. Journalists and broadcasters must be allowed to do their jobs of informing the public over critical issues and holding the government to account. Instead [...]
On February 21, 2023, a representative of the International Press Institute (IPI) attended and monitored the trial of journalist Mansur Çelik at the Ankara 14th High Criminal Court as part of IPI’s Turkey trial monitoring programme. Alongside IPI, Çelik’s trial was also attended by representatives from the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), Association of Journalists [...]
IPI monitored the eighth hearing of the trial in which Vedat Arık, Olcay Büyüktaş, Hazal Ocak and İpek Özbey face charges of “identifying state officials on anti-terror duties as targets” and “violation of privacy” that was held in the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court on April 5, 2023. The evidence for the above charges was [...]
The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, journalists, and media executives for press freedom, condemns the latest decision by Turkey’s broadcast regulator to fine several broadcasters over their critical reporting. Turkish authorities must not suppress the media, especially as the country approaches the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections on May 14. “This [...]
The IPI global network of journalists, editors, and publishers strongly condemns the decision of the Turkish authorities to not renew the operating license of German broadcaster Deutsche Welle’s (DW) Turkish service. This decision will effectively shut down the Turkish branch of DW in a worrying indication of the shrinking space for free and independent media [...]
The International Press Institute (IPI) condemns the conviction of Turkish journalist Sinan Aygül in connection with his reporting on sexual abuse allegations involving police officers. Aygül was the first journalist charged under Turkey’s new “disinformation law” passed by the Turkish parliament last October. On December 13, 2022, Aygül, who is the president of the Bitlis [...]
This article is part of Turkey Dispatches, a special IPI series on press freedom and the realities of practicing journalism in today’s Turkey, written by those most directly affected: Turkey’s journalists and those who defend them. There has been a significant increase in the number of laws aimed at preventing disinformation [...]