International groups call on the European Council to strengthen its demands on Turkey to end the backsliding on human rights and freedom of expression

Today, the International Press Institute (IPI) with 15 other human rights and freedom of expression organizations published a joint letter to Charles Michel, President of the European Council and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, to ensure that improvement in fundamental rights and the rule of law are at the heart of [...]

International groups call Turkey to investigate allegations on Mumcu and Adalı killings

On June 16, the International Press Institute (IPI) and 17 international rights groups on freedom of the press and expression sent open letters to the Turkish Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gül and political parties to urge Turkish authorities to take all necessary steps to initiate an investigation into new allegations regarding the unsolved murders of the [...]

Northern Cyprus newspapers targeted after reporting on drug trafficking allegations

The International Press Institute (IPI) today condemned recent threats and cyber attacks against two Northern Cyprus newspapers following their reporting on a local businessman’s alleged links to drug trafficking and called on local authorities to ensure the safety of journalists. Editors Pınar Barut of Özgür Gazete and Nuri Sılay of Gazedda Kıbrıs told IPI that [...]

Turkey Trial Blog: Journalist Melis Alphan acquitted

On May 21, 2021, International Press Institute (IPI) Turkey National Committee member İpek Yezdani monitored the second hearing of the trial against journalist Melis Alphan. Alphan was accused of “spreading terror propaganda” over a photo that she posted on social media of the 2015 Newroz celebrations in Turkey’s southeastern province of Diyarbakır. Alphan was facing [...]

Peker videos: Turkey must investigate allegations regarding murders of journalists Uğur Mumcu, Kutlu Adalı

Turkey should investigate new allegations regarding the unsolved murders of two prominent investigative journalists, Uğur Mumcu and Kutlu Adalı, in Turkey and Northern Cyprus in the 1990s, the International Press Institute (IPI) said today. New and serious claims about the involvement of the Turkish government and military officials in the two murders were recently raised [...]

IPI Podcasts: How digital subscription models help support democracy in Turkey

IPI Turkey Programme Coordinator, Renan Akyavas, speaks with an executive of the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS) Mustafa Kuleli and the foreign desk correspondent for BirGün newspaper, Ömür Şahin Keyif, about the most recent challenges Turkey’s free media face, and how to defeat the vicious circles of financial challenges and poor quality journalism in the [...]

Charges against Melis Alphan in Turkey must be dropped ahead of second hearing

The International Press Institute (IPI) called today on Turkish authorities to drop charges against journalist Melis Alphan ahead of the second hearing on May 21 in her trial on terrorism-related charges. Alphan, previously worked as a columnist for newspapers Hürriyet and Milliyet and the news site Artı Gerçek and who writes on women, gender and [...]

IPI Freedom Dialogues Turkey: How digital subscription models help support democracy

  Also available on: The 17th episode of IPI’s podcast series IPI Freedom Dialogues: Turkey is out now! In the 17th episode of IPI Freedom Dialogues: Turkey, host Cansu Çamlıbel and her guest Berkant Gültekin, an editorial board member of BirGün newspaper, discussed the digitalization of the media, [...]

IPI Turkey Webinar Recap: “Quality Journalism: Threats and Opportunities”

On May 3, World Press Freedom Day, the International Press Institute (IPI) organized a webinar in partnership with Columbia Global Centers | Istanbul (CGC) titled "Qualified Journalism: Threats and Opportunities" with distinguished speakers including İpek Cem Taha, Scott Griffen, Emre Kızılkaya, Faruk Bildirici and Minez Bayülgen. Participants talked about the evolution and digitalization of journalism [...]

Turkey marks WPFD with numerous press freedom violations

As the world commemorated May 3 as World Press Freedom Day, Turkey marked the occasion with continuing press freedom violations, attacks against journalists and further limitations on social media platforms, the last bastion of freedom of expression and the press in the country. The International Press Institute (IPI) recorded nine different incidents of attacks, harassment, [...]