Expression Interrupted

Journalists and academics bear the brunt of the massive crackdown on freedom of expression in Turkey. Scores of them are currently subject to criminal investigations or behind bars. This website is dedicated to tracking the legal process against them.

Freedom of Expression and the Press in Turkey - 482

Freedom of Expression and the Press in Turkey - 482

Arrest warrant issued against Ahmet Nesin; access to Mezopotamya Agency’s website blocked; RTÜK requests license application for Cumhuriyet newspaper's YouTube channel

Arrest warrant issued against writer Ahmet Nesin

The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation against writer Ahmet Nesin on charges of “insulting the president” over a video he posted on YouTube on 27 December 2024.

An arrest warrant was issued against Nesin, who has been residing abroad since 2016.

Nesin, who participated in the “Editor-in-Chief on Watch” campaign of Özgür Gündem newspaper, which was shut down by a statutory decree (KHK), was imprisoned pending trial with Erol Önderoğlu and Şebnem Korur Fincancı on 20 June 2016 and released on 1 July.

Ahmet Nesin, who was previously the director of the Nesin Foundation, had worked at Artı Gerçek from 2017 to 2022.

Investigation launched against Aslıhan Gençay

An investigation has been launched against journalist Aslıhan Gençay over her news article titled “Kelle avcıları mı, Hataylı saygıdeğer iş insanları mı?” (Headhunters or respectable business people from Hatay?) published in 2024.

Aydın Toksöz, Tugay Toksöz and Önder Parlakyıldız, who were mentioned in the news article, filed a criminal complaint to Hatay Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. The complainants argued that the news article was baseless and untrue and that their reputation in the eyes of the public had been damaged, and demanded an access block on the news article and an investigation and lawsuit be brought against Gençay on charges of “obtaining personal data without permission,” “spreading false information” and “insult.”

Upon the prosecutor's request, Hatay Criminal Judgeship of Peace issued an access block to the news article.

On 2 January 2025, Gençay went to the police station with her lawyer and gave a statement as part of the investigation.

ETHA reporter Elif Bayburt faces investigation for “denigrating the Turkish nation”

A lawsuit was filed against Etkin News Agency reporter Elif Bayburt at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance for “denigrating Turkish nation and the state of the Republic of Turkey” over an interview she conducted.

Bayburt will stand trial over an interview she conducted with eyewitnesses after International Solidarity Movement activist Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank on 6 September 2024.

The indictment accused Bayburt of “publicly denigrating the state of the Republic of Turkey” over the statements of Rob Sadler in the interview: “I can say that both the Turkish and US governments are complicit in Israel's genocide against the Palestinian people.”

RTÜK requests license application for Cumhuriyet newspaper's YouTube channel

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) demanded that Cumhuriyet newspaper's YouTube channel apply for a license on the grounds that it was operating without a broadcasting license. RTÜK announced that if the newspaper fails to do so within 72 hours, the channel will be blocked. This decision is the first of its kind in Turkey in terms of requiring a license for a YouTube account.

The decision was based on the “Regulation on the Presentation of Radio, Television and On-Demand Broadcasts via the Internet,” which entered into force on 1 August 2019. The regulation obliges internet broadcasters to obtain a license and grants broad powers to RTÜK and the Information Technologies Authority. License fees range from TL 10,000 to TL 100,000 which has been criticized as a deterrent for independent media outlets.

On the other hand, İlhan Taşçı, a CHP member of RTÜK, announced on his X account the fines imposed by RTÜK in 2024.

Accordingly, the board fined critical channels a total of 44 times, while pro-government media institutions were fined four times.

RTÜK fined Halk TV 5 times; Tele 1 9 times; Flash Haber 9 times; NOW TV 10 times; Sözcü TV 6 times and Açık Radyo 3 times, while Beyaz TV, TGRT Haber, Akit TV and ATV were fined once each.

While the total amount of fines imposed on opposition outlets was TL 63 million 500 thousand, the total amount of fines imposed on the pro-government media institutions was TL 18 million 450 thousand.

In 2024, RTÜK issued 6 warnings; 4 removals from the catalogue; 5 program suspensions; 5 temporary broadcast suspensions and 7 license revocation decisions.

Access block to Mesopotamia Agency

Mezopotamya Agency's (MA) domain name “mezopotamyaajansi40.com” was blocked on the grounds of “protection of national security and public order” with the decision of Bitlis Criminal Judicature of Peace dated 27 December 2024 and numbered 2024/2618.

At least 33 journalists and media workers in prison

According to Expression Interrupted's latest information, following the release of Mehmet Gündem and Zafer Özcan, and Ali Aslan Kılıç being sent to prison after his sentence was upheld by the Court of Cassation, as of 3 January 2025, there are at least 33 journalists and media workers in prison in Turkey, either in pre-trial detention or serving a finalized prison sentence.

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