Turkey / Europe & Central Asia

Istanbul, October 6, 2025—Turkish authorities in the eastern province of Elazığ must investigate the recent assault of journalist Evren Demirdaş and ensure his attackers and anyone behind the assault are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On October 1, three men beat the journalist and broke his nose. Demirdaş, the Elazığ reporter for the…

Istanbul, September 23, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Turkish authorities to stop prosecuting broadcasters for commentary after five journalists were charged and three were placed under investigation, accused of either spreading false information or insulting the president in three political debate shows.  “These cases against broadcast journalists are only the most recent in…

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 17 other press freedom and human rights organizations in calling on Turkish authorities to release freelance court reporter Furkan Karabay, who has been in detention for over 100 days. Following his arrest in May, he was indicted on September 5, 2025, on three charges, including “insulting” President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, for which he could face six to…

Istanbul, September 8, 2025—Turkish authorities must drop the charges brought against journalist Furkan Karabay alleging that he “insulted” the president and “made targets of” judicial officials, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. Turkish authorities arrested freelance court reporter Karabay in mid-May. Karabay spent more than 100 days in pretrial detention before being indicted. A court date has yet to…

Istanbul, July 1, 2025—Turkish authorities must release from custody four staff members of the leftist satirical weekly LeMan and ensure their safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday.  Police raided the Istanbul offices of LeMan Monday evening and detained the staff members after the publication of what officials claimed was a cartoon of the Prophet Muhammad, a depiction that is forbidden in…

Istanbul, June 24, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Turkish authorities to immediately release journalist Fatih Altaylı following his June 22 arrest and imprisonment on accusations of threatening Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in connection with his commentary on a public poll. “Fatih Altaylı’s arrest is a blatant attempt to intimidate an influential commentator into self-censorship,” said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s…

Editor’s note: On May 22, Öznur Değer was released under a travel ban and judicial control until her next hearing on October 21. Istanbul, May 21, 2025—Turkish authorities should release Öznur Değer ahead of her trial on Thursday and stop conflating reporting on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) with publishing propaganda for the outlawed group, the Committee to…

Istanbul, May 19, 2025—Turkish authorities should do everything in their power to protect BirGün reporter İsmail Arı and his family after they received death threats in connection with the journalist’s May 13 report  in the leftist daily on court bribery allegations, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday.  “Turkish authorities in Ankara must take the threats made against journalist…

Istanbul, May 16, 2025—Turkish authorities should immediately release freelance court reporter Furkan Karabay, who was detained during a police raid early Thursday in Istanbul, and stop detaining journalists who are trying to report the news, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. The detention marks at least Karabay’s third in recent years. Later Thursday, an Istanbul…

Istanbul, April 17, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Turkey to drop charges against five photojournalists, whose trial begins on Friday, for allegedly taking part in protests in Istanbul last month. The journalists could be jailed for up to three years for violating the law on gatherings and demonstrations. In the indictment, reviewed by…