On April 14, after a week of parliamentary debate, the Turkish government passed a new “criminal enforcement” law that is expected to see up to 90,000 inmates released in order to relieve overcrowded prisons during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, an International Press Institute (IPI) review of the law shows that it excludes prisoners sentenced for […]

The International Press Institute (IPI) joins today 23 other international press freedom and freedom of expression groups to call on Turkish authorities to release all journalists and those who were arbitrarily detained as part of the new bill to release prisoners on parole amid COVID-19 pandemic. See the joint statement below. In the early hours […]

By RUŞEN ÇAKIR / IPI Member and Medyascope editor Ruşen Çakır on journalism and press freedom amid COVID-19

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists for press freedom, today demanded that imprisoned journalists not be excluded from the Turkish government’s plan to release thousands of prisoners as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 24, the ruling coalition AKP and MHP submitted […]