40 Turkish and international organizations, including the International Press Institute, Freedom House, the European Federation of Journalists, and Turkey’s Media and Law Studies Association, have issued a joint letter protesting increasing press freedom violations. The letter condemns the systematic use of judicial control measures—such as house arrests and travel bans—to silence independent journalists. In January 2025 alone, nine journalists were arrested, six sentenced to prison, and dozens faced investigations or police obstruction. The letter warns that these restrictions are replacing traditional detention as a censorship tool under President Erdogan’s government. Reporters Without Borders ranks Turkey 158th out of 180 in its 2024 press freedom index, warning that authoritarianism is eroding media pluralism. Rights groups are urging the government to reverse these measures and protect press freedom. Read more here.
Source: IPI, Balkans Insight