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February 18, 2025 – Turkey –
Turkey has witnessed a significant surge in the detention and imprisonment of journalists, raising serious concerns about the state of press freedom in the country.
One notable case is that of Ozan Kaplanoğlu, the editor-in-chief of Bursa Muhalif newspaper. Kaplanoğlu was imprisoned in February 2025 after a conditional release decision was revoked. He had been convicted in 2013 for insulting then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during a protest, a charge that has been upheld by appellate courts. His lawyer argued that this act should be considered an exercise of freedom of thought and expression. The DİSK Basın-İş journalists’ union condemned his imprisonment, linking it to broader pressures on the press.
In another significant development, four journalists—Ercüment Akdeniz, Elif Akgül, Yıldız Tar, and Ender İmrek—were detained in police raids on February 18, 2025. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reported that these detentions were part of a broader operation targeting the People’s Democratic Congress (HDK), a pro-Kurdish political movement. The journalists were reportedly banned from seeing their lawyers for 24 hours, and some were questioned about their personal social media accounts, union and association memberships, civil society activities, and phone calls made years prior.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has expressed serious concern over these developments, noting that in January alone, 18 journalists were detained, nine of whom were arrested. The NUJ, along with the IFJ and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), has urged Turkish authorities to cease the oppression and unjust detentions of journalists and to align their practices with international standards for the protection of freedom of expression and press freedom.
These incidents highlight a troubling pattern of press suppression in Turkey, where journalists face increasing legal and extrajudicial pressures. The international community continues to monitor the situation closely, advocating for the immediate release of detained journalists and the restoration of press freedoms in the country.
Reference –
https://www.nuj.org.uk/resource/more-journalists-detained-in-turkey.html
