Turkey leads the list of countries weaponising the law to silence women journalists with the highest number of legal harassment cases on record, according to a report by the Coalition for Women in Journalism (CFWIJ).
The country also came second for the number of women journalists behind bars, and increased physical and legal harassment against women journalists in the country compared to the same period last year.
In one incident on 31 March, journalist Melek Fırat and three others were assaulted by relatives of drug operation suspects outside a courthouse. Additionally, six women journalists faced assault and harassment while covering the aftermath of earthquakes in various regions of Turkey.
The overall trend of press intimidation in heavily censored countries has resulted in self-censorship among journalists, leading to reduced risks taken in reporting and more cautious journalism under censorship, the report finds.
Additionally, the Turkish government’s policies and negative political rhetoric targeting the press have contributed to a climate of distrust towards media workers, especially those with foreign affiliations. This hostility has resulted in threats against journalists and media outlets, as evidenced by incidents of mobs attacking women journalists recording disaster sites. Travel bans, baseless legal charges such as ‘insulting public officials,’ and the “cynical use of terrorism charges” against Kurdish women journalists further underscore the government’s efforts to silence critical voices.
The CFWIJ report highlights specific cases of legal harassment faced by journalists like Pınar Gayıp, Nazlan Ertan, and Dicle Müftüoğlu who have faced investigations or sentences based on charges related to their reporting.
