{"id":19440,"date":"2026-02-20T13:39:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T13:39:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/19440\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T13:39:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T13:39:07","slug":"press-freedom-in-turkey-2025-in-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/19440\/","title":{"rendered":"Press Freedom in Turkey: 2025 in Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Press freedom in Turkey deteriorated further in 2025 as authorities tightened control over the media through prosecutions, regulatory penalties and online censorship. Pressure escalated during the political crisis triggered by the removal from office and arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem \u0130mamo\u011flu, when restrictions increased across broadcast media and social media platforms and journalists faced new legal cases tied to their reporting.<\/p>\n

Pro-opposition broadcasters were among the main targets. The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RT\u00dcK), Turkey\u2019s media regulator, imposed fines and other penalties on several stations over their coverage of \u0130mamo\u011flu\u2019s case and the protests that followed, including 10-day blackouts that took channels off the air. RT\u00dcK imposed 99 sanctions in 2025, fining broadcasters and digital platforms approximately $5.3 million, with most penalties targeting news and political commentary critical of the government.<\/p>\n

Online censorship expanded throughout the year. According to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Turkey blocked 27,304 social media accounts in the first four months of 2025 alone. Courts blocked access to 3,330 URLs linked to 1,306 pieces of online content in the first seven months of the year. Authorities also restricted protest-related content by blocking accounts and posts, while platforms including X and YouTube limited access in Turkey to accounts belonging to journalists, activists and media organizations, including those operating from exile. X blocked access to at least 42 journalist and activist accounts, while Bluesky restricted access to 72 accounts and one post following government pressure.<\/p>\n

Journalists also remained under heavy legal pressure, with 24 detentions recorded in 2025, including YouTube hosts, television anchors and staff members of a satirical magazine. Reporters were prosecuted over news reports, interviews and social media posts, with charges ranging from \u201cinsulting the president\u201d to terrorism-related accusations. Kurdish journalists and Kurdish media organizations faced repeated arrests and indictments, while courts pursued cases against satire and commentary deemed offensive to religious values.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Journalists were also prosecuted in cases linked to the faith-based G\u00fclen movement, including for expressing condolences after the death of Muslim cleric Fethullah G\u00fclen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The broader legal climate around free speech also tightened. Over a 12-month period, 1,696 people were put on trial, and pretrial detentions rose by 560 percent, reinforcing concerns about use of the courts to deter dissent.<\/p>\n

Journalists also faced physical threats and violence. Some were assaulted after publishing stories on corruption or local misconduct, while others reported death threats. Pressure also reached beyond Turkey, with journalists living in exile describing continued threats to their safety.<\/p>\n

Foreign journalists were also affected. A Swedish journalist was detained upon arrival in Turkey, planning to cover protests, and a BBC correspondent was deported after being accused of posing a threat to public order.<\/p>\n

New legislation added to concerns about future restrictions. A cybersecurity law that entered into force in March expanded the powers of the Cybersecurity Directorate, allowing for the search and seize of digital materials without judicial approval. The law also introduced prison sentences for disseminating \u201cfalse information\u201d about data breaches.<\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s international standing reflected the year\u2019s developments. The country ranked 159th out of 180 in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, and separate research found trust in news in Turkey had fallen to its lowest level in a decade.<\/p>\n

Below is a roundup of key developments from 2025about press freedom in Turkey:<\/p>\n

Journalist detained in Turkey over social media post for the 14th time
Journalist Ahmet Erkan Yi\u011fits\u00f6zl\u00fc was briefly detained on January 6 over a post on X, marking the 14th time he has been taken into custody. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey arrested 6 Kurdish journalists on terrorism charges<\/p>\n

A Turkish court on January 17 ruled for the arrest of six Kurdish journalists who were\u00a0detained\u00a0in a police operation across several provinces in January. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish court handed down prison sentences to journalists in retrial due to G\u00fclen links<\/p>\n

A Turkish court sentenced six journalists to prison on terrorism-related charges due to their alleged links to the G\u00fclen movement in a retrial following a Supreme Court of Appeals ruling that overturned their previous convictions. More\u2026<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Turkish court\u2019s arrest of Halk TV editor-in-chief \u2018a political move\u2019 to silence media: CPJ<\/p>\n

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)\u00a0condemned\u00a0a Turkish court\u2019s order to arrest Halk TV Editor-in-Chief Suat Tokta\u015f after the opposition-aligned network aired an interview with a court-appointed expert witness, saying it is a political move to silence critical voices. More\u2026<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

X blocked access to at least 42 journalist, activist accounts in Turkey<\/p>\n

Social media platform X blocked access to at least 42 accounts belonging to Turkish journalists, activists and media organizations operated by journalists living in exile, marking yet another act of censorship. More\u2026<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kurdish journalist arrested over social media posts about colleagues killed in drone strike<\/p>\n

Turkish authorities on February 11 arrested \u00d6znur De\u011fer, a reporter for JINNEWS, over social media posts about two Kurdish journalists killed in a drone strike in northern Syria. More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Vice News reporters acquitted in Turkey after 9-year terrorism trial<\/p>\n

On March 17, a Turkish court acquitted two Vice News journalists of terrorism-related charges after a nine-year trial stemming from their reporting in Turkey\u2019s restive southeast in 2015. More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey blocked hundreds of social media accounts after protests over \u0130stanbul mayor\u2019s detention and subsequent arrest<\/p>\n

Turkish authorities on March 23 blocked access to dozens of social media accounts that has posted about protests following the detention and subsequent arrest and removal from office of \u0130stanbul Mayor Ekrem \u0130mamo\u011flu. More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Swedish journalist detained on arrival in Turkey: FM<\/p>\n

Swedish journalist Joakim Medin was detained upon arrival in Turkey, where he was intending to cover anti-government demonstrations. More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey deported BBC reporter for \u2018posing threat to public order\u2019<\/p>\n

BBC correspondent Mark Lowen was deported from Turkey on March 27 after being detained in \u0130stanbul on March 26 on accusations that he posed a \u201cthreat to public order.\u201d More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey fined Meta for refusing to suspend protest-linked accounts<\/p>\n

Facebook parent Meta on April 1 said it was fined a \u201csubstantial amount\u201d in Turkey for failing to comply with government orders to suspend accounts linked to widespread protests following the detention of the opposition mayor of \u0130stanbul. More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Bluesky restricted access to 72 accounts in Turkey amid government pressure<\/p>\n

On April 17, Bluesky restricted access to 72 accounts and one post in Turkey, marking a shift for the decentralized social media platform that had previously resisted government censorship. More\u2026<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n

Journalist received suspended sentence on conviction of insulting, slandering Erdo\u011fan<\/p>\n

A Turkish court on April 18 handed down a two-year suspended sentence to journalist Furkan Karabay due to comments he made about President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan and his children during an interview on a YouTube program last year. More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Swedish reporter got 11-month suspended sentence for insulting Erdo\u011fan<\/p>\n

A Turkish court on Wednesday gave a Swedish journalist a suspended sentence of just over 11 months for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan. More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey ranked 159th in new press freedom index: RSF<\/p>\n

Turkey\u00a0dropped\u00a0to 159th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, published on May 2 by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish journalist arrested due to reports on investigations into opposition mayors<\/p>\n

Turkish journalist Furkan Karabay was arrested on May 15 on charges of insulting the president and targeting public officials involved in counterterrorism efforts in his reports and social media posts concerning investigations into opposition mayors, his lawyer said. More\u2026<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

Turkey blocked 27,304 social media accounts in first four months of 2025: minister<\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s interior minister said on May 7 that 27,304 social media accounts had been blocked in the first four months of 2025 as part of the country\u2019s expanding digital crackdown. More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

CPJ urged Turkey to safeguard journalist after death threats tied to court bribery story<\/p>\n

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on May 19\u00a0called on\u00a0Turkish authorities to protect a reporter and his family after they received death threats in response to his report alleging a $2.5 million bribe to avoid detention in a court case tied to organized crime. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Covert deal hinted Sweden traded release of Swedish reporter for crackdown on exiled Turkish journalists<\/p>\n

Sweden may have quietly agreed to disrupt the activities of Turkish journalists living in exile within its borders in exchange for the release of detained Swedish journalist Joakim Medin. More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish regulator ordered 10-day blackout of pro-opposition TV station<\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s media watchdog on May 28 ordered a 10-day broadcast blackout of the pro-opposition S\u00f6zc\u00fc TV, starting June 1, penalizing the station for its coverage of nationwide protests following the arrest of \u0130stanbul Mayor Ekrem \u0130mamo\u011flu, a prominent opposition figure. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Trust in news in Turkey plunged to lowest level in a decade<\/p>\n

Trust in news in Turkey has plunged to its lowest level since 2015, while a pro-government outlet has become the least trusted media organization in the country, according to the\u00a02025 Digital News Report\u00a0from the University of Oxford\u2019s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish court jailed 4 LeMan staff members over cartoon allegedly insulting religious values<\/p>\n

Four staff members of the Turkish satirical magazine LeMan were jailed pending trial on July 2 on charges of \u201cpublicly insulting religious values\u201d after being taken into police custody on June 30 over a controversial cartoon. More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Pro-opposition networks went dark for 10 days due to coverage of protests over arrest of \u0130mamo\u011flu<\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s broadcasting watchdog imposed simultaneous 10-day broadcast blackouts on opposition-aligned Halk TV and S\u00f6zc\u00fc TV starting July 8, following separate rulings that penalize both outlets over their coverage of mass protests after the arrest of \u0130stanbul Mayor Ekrem \u0130mamo\u011flu. More\u2026\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey opened Spotify probe after \u2018provocative playlist\u2019 complaint<\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s competition authority on July 4 opened an investigation into Spotify over alleged anti-competitive practices, while a deputy culture minister called forlegal action against the music streaming platform for hosting playlists deemed offensive to religious values and the president\u2019s wife. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish journalist jailed after reporting on extortion scheme involving local officials using Erdo\u011fan\u2019s name<\/p>\n

A Turkish journalist was arrested after publishing articles alleging that officials in the central province of Nev\u015fehir invoked the names of President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan and Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya when pressuring local businesspeople for money, sparking criticism from press freedom advocates. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s media regulator threatened pro\u2011opposition\u00a0BirG\u00fcn\u00a0TV with ban, critics cited weaponization of licensing<\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s media regulator on September 4 gave pro\u2011opposition outlet\u00a0BirG\u00fcn\u00a0TV\u00a072\u00a0hours to apply for a license or face an access ban, a move opposition members said shows how licensing rules are being used to pressure critical media.\u00a0More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish journalist faced up to\u00a015\u00a0years on charges of insulting\u00a0Erdo\u011fan, officials<\/p>\n

The \u0130stanbul Chief Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office sought six to\u00a015\u00a0years in prison for journalist\u00a0Furkan\u00a0Karabay on charges of \u201cinsulting the president,\u201d \u201crepeatedly targeting public officials involved in counterterrorism efforts\u201d and \u201cinsulting a public official.\u201d\u00a0 More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey blocked exiled journalist\u00a0D\u00fcndar\u2019s\u00a0YouTube channel over protest call<\/p>\n

An \u0130stanbul court ordered a block on the YouTube channel of journalist\u00a0Can\u00a0D\u00fcndar, who lives in exile, citing national security and public order after he urged opposition supporters to protest government\u2011appointed trustees.\u00a0More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey blocked access to\u00a0Grok\u2019s\u00a0X account, citing national security<\/p>\n

Turkish authorities on September 11 blockedaccess to the X account of Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk\u2019s\u00a0xAI, under a law that allows content restrictions on national security grounds.\u00a0More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish journalist received suspended sentence for reporting on pro\u2011government university official<\/p>\n

A\u00a0Turkish court on September 9 handed down a one\u2011year, eight\u2011month suspended sentence to journalist\u00a0Mehmet\u00a0Baran\u00a0K\u0131l\u0131\u00e7 on charges of \u201cunlawful acquisition and dissemination of personal data\u201d for his reports about the secretary\u2011general of\u00a0Bo\u011fazi\u00e7i University.\u00a0More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish broadcast regulator fined three pro\u2011opposition\u00a0TV stations<\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s broadcast regulator fined three pro\u2011opposition TV stations on October 3, citing critical on\u2011air commentary and a subtitle error, sparking criticism over the continued use of financial penalties against opposition media.\u00a0More\u2026<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n

CPJ urged probe after Turkish journalist beaten in suspected retaliation over corruption reporting<\/p>\n

A Turkish journalist was assaulted in suspected retaliation for his reporting on alleged local corruption, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on October 6, urging authorities to bring both the attackers and those who ordered the assault to justice.\u00a0More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Photojournalist who had captured police killing of Kurdish student faced fourth terrorism indictment<\/p>\n

A Turkish prosecutor on October 10 issued a fourth indictment against photojournalist\u00a0Abdurrahman\u00a0G\u00f6k, who took pictures of a Kurdish university student being shot to death by police in\u00a02017.\u00a0More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Journalist covering environmental issues fought for his life after attack in Istanbul<\/p>\n

Turkish journalist and environmental activist\u00a0Hakan\u00a0Tosun was in intensive care after being brutally assaulted in \u0130stanbul, in what his family and colleagues suspect was a targeted attack related to his reporting on environmental issues.\u00a0More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

CPJ urged Turkey to protect\u00a03\u00a0journalists facing death threats<\/p>\n

The Committee to Protect Journalists\u00a0(CPJ) on October 21 called on Turkish authorities to ensure the security of three reporters who received death threats in connection with their work.\u00a0More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Kurdish journalist sentenced over posts on colleagues killed in Turkish drone strike in\u00a0Syria<\/p>\n

A\u00a0Turkish court sentenced journalist and news editor\u00a0\u00d6znur\u00a0De\u011fer to more than three years in prison over social media posts about two Kurdish journalists who were killed in a Turkish drone attack in\u00a0Syria.\u00a0More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey\u2019s\u00a0Erdo\u011fan again named among RSF\u2019s\u00a0\u2018Press Freedom\u00a0Predators\u2019<\/p>\n

Turkish President\u00a0Recep\u00a0Tayyip\u00a0Erdo\u011fan was again listed among the world\u2019s worst violators of press freedom in the\u00a02025 edition of Reporters\u00a0Without\u00a0Borders\u2019\u00a0(RSF) \u201cPress Freedom\u00a0Predators\u201d list.\u202fMore\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey blocked journalist\u2019s\u202fX account after posts targeting foundation led by\u00a0Erdo\u011fan\u2019s\u00a0son<\/p>\n

Turkish authorities on November 4 blocked access to journalist\u00a0Serdar\u00a0Akinan\u2019s account on\u00a0X after he shared posts alleging misconduct by a youth foundation led by\u00a0Bilal\u00a0Erdo\u011fan, President\u00a0Recep\u00a0Tayyip\u00a0Erdo\u011fan\u2019s son.\u202fMore\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Sweden rejected Turkey\u2019s extradition request for journalist Abdullah Bozkurt<\/p>\n

Sweden on November 13 rejected Turkey\u2019s request to extradite journalist living in exile Abdullah\u00a0Bozkurt, ruling that the accusations against him are not punishable under Swedish law and therefore cannot form the basis for extradition.\u00a0More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkish prosecutor indicted 2\u00a0Kurdish journalists over reporting on military torture allegations<\/p>\n

A Turkish prosecutor on November 25 indicted two Kurdish journalists for reporting on torture allegations against a gendarmerie commander, accusing them of \u201ctargeting a public official.\u201d More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

EU\u202frapporteur slammed \u2018absurd\u2019 sentence for prominent Turkish journalist as press groups urged release<\/p>\n

European Parliament Turkey rapporteur\u00a0Nacho\u00a0Sanchez\u00a0Amor on November 26 condemned Turkey for sentencing journalist\u00a0Fatih\u202fAltayl\u0131 to over four years in prison, with press groups calling the case another severe blow to media freedom and urging his release.\u202fMore\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey arrested another YouTube journalist for allegedly insulting Erdo\u011fan<\/p>\n

Arif Kocab\u0131y\u0131k, a journalist known for his street interviews, was arrested by a court on December 6 on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdo\u011fan. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Pro\u2011government Turkish journalist arrested after social media post criticizing justice minister<\/p>\n

Zihni \u00c7ak\u0131r, a journalist known for his pro\u2011government stance, was arrested on December 20 following a social media post in which he criticized Justice Minister Y\u0131lmaz Tun\u00e7, the T24 news website reported. More\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Press freedom in Turkey deteriorated further in 2025 as authorities tightened control over the media through prosecutions, regulatory…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19441,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[13563,13564,13565,422,423,13566,13567,425,426,13568,312,2908,1181,13569,13570,427,428,13571,429,13572,2033,431,13573,131,132,13574,155],"class_list":{"0":"post-19440","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-stockholm","8":"tag-2025-digital-news-report","9":"tag-abdullah-bozkurt","10":"tag-ahmet-erkan-yigitsozlu","11":"tag-ak-party","12":"tag-akp","13":"tag-birgun-tv","14":"tag-bluesky","15":"tag-democracy","16":"tag-erdogan","17":"tag-grok","18":"tag-human-rights","19":"tag-interior-minister-ali-yerlikaya","20":"tag-istanbul-mayor-ekrem-imamoglu","21":"tag-jinnews","22":"tag-joakim-medin","23":"tag-justice","24":"tag-law","25":"tag-leman","26":"tag-oppression","27":"tag-oznur-deger","28":"tag-press-freedom","29":"tag-rule-of-law","30":"tag-sozcu-tv","31":"tag-stockholm","32":"tag-sweden","33":"tag-the-committee-to-protect-journalists-cpj","34":"tag-turkey"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19440","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19440"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19440\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19441"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}