Press freedom violations in Turkey have surged since the start of 2025, drawing alarm from the International Press Institute (IPI) and a coalition of press freedom, human rights, and journalistic organisations. The coalition, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), PEN International, Kurdish PEN, and over 30 other press freedom and human rights organisations, has urgently called on Turkish authorities to adhere to international standards on freedom of expression and press freedom, warning that independent media and democratic discourse are under existential threat. Kurdish journalists in particular have become the primary focus of the government’s intensified repression.
In January 2025 alone, at least nine journalists were arrested, six were sentenced to prison, five were detained, 23 were investigated, and one faced police obstruction. Kurdish media outlets and journalists have been disproportionately affected by these actions, pointing to a targeted effort to silence Kurdish voices in Turkey.
The Dicle Firat Journalists Association (DFG) reported that 18 journalists were detained and nine imprisoned in January, a stark rise compared to 2024, when 74 investigations were opened throughout the entire year. By contrast, 42 new investigations were initiated against journalists in just the first month of 2025.
Key incidents include:
2 January: Journalist Aslıhan Gençay faced an investigation for reporting on corruption in Hatay. Authorities blocked her article and charged her under the disinformation law, targeting investigative journalism.
7 January: The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation against 21 journalists covering the Kobani (Kobanê) trial’s final hearing, criminalising routine court reporting.
17-20 January: Six journalists—Reyhan Hacıoğlu, Necla Demir, Rahime Karvar, Vedat Örüç, Velat Ekin, and Ahmet Güneş—were detained across multiple cities. They were denied legal representation and arrested without their statements being recorded. (Ahmet Güneş was released on 4 February.)
23 January: Journalists Seyhan Avşar, Ahmet Doğan Akın, and Candan Yıldız faced court cases over their social media posts about murdered journalists Nazim Daştan and Cîhan Bilgin, who were killed in a Turkish drone strike near Kobani in December 2024.
29 January: Halk TV’s editor-in-chief Suat Toktaş, program coordinator Kürşad Oğuz, and journalist Barış Pehlivan were detained for broadcasting a recorded phone conversation. While Oğuz and Pehlivan were released under judicial control, Toktaş was arrested.
The crackdown has disproportionately affected Kurdish media outlets. The X accounts of Mezopotamya Ajansi (264k followers), Jin News (168k followers), and Yeni Yaşam (125k followers) were blocked, while the Instagram accounts of Jin News and Yeni Yaşam were shut down.
On 7 February, Artı Gerçek announced that access to their X account from Turkey had been blocked on the grounds of ‘protecting national security and public order’, in accordance with Article 8/A of Law No. 5651. The news agency stated that legal applications are currently being made regarding the ban.
Former news director of Jin News, Sofya Alağaş, now co-mayor of Siirt (Sêrt), was sentenced to six years and three months in prison on charges of “membership of a terrorist organisation”, based on lawsuits filed during her time as a journalist.
Turkey’s broadcast regulator, RTÜK, has increasingly targeted critical media outlets. In 2024, RTÜK imposed 24 broadcast bans and fines totalling 81.5 million Turkish lira, primarily against government-critical media. In January 2025, RTÜK issued directives limiting coverage of the Bolu hotel fire, which claimed 78 lives, instructing media to rely solely on official sources.
The government’s introduction of the Cyber Security Law on 10 January —coinciding with Working Journalists’ Day—poses an additional threat. The bill, which proposes prison sentences for reporting on “data leaks”, has been passed by the National Defence Commission and is expected to further suppress independent journalism.
While traditional imprisonments appear to decrease, judicial control measures—such as travel bans, house arrests, and regular check-ins—are increasingly used to stifle journalistic freedom. These measures, combined with heightened online censorship, represent a shift towards more subtle yet equally oppressive methods of control.
The IPI and partner organisations urge Turkish authorities to release arbitrarily detained journalists and protect press freedom as a cornerstone of democracy. The coalition demands adherence to international conventions and Turkey’s constitutional guarantees for freedom of expression.
