News Center — Journalists in Turkey face multiple violations ranging from legal harassment and arbitrary arrests to the blocking of news websites, direct threats, and even physical violence. As a result, journalism has become a high-risk profession amid an environment dominated by strict restrictions on expression and media pluralism.

A report released today, Thursday, February 5, by the Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association (MKG), paints a bleak picture of the reality faced by journalists, confirming that pressure and violations against them continue systematically in the field, before the courts, and in the digital sphere.

According to the report, last January witnessed assaults on three journalists, the detention of five women journalists, and the ill-treatment of six journalists. Two journalists received direct threats, while one was prevented from covering events. The report also noted that trials against twelve journalists are still ongoing, reflecting the scale of the challenges facing press freedom in the region.

The report further stated that five journalists were detained during protests against attacks on Rojava, stressing that media outlets focusing on women’s issues and publishing critical content are subjected to digital censorship. It added that during the past month, three websites and 58 social media accounts were shut down, while access to six digital platforms was blocked.

The association emphasized that judicial procedures have turned into a “mechanism of intimidation” against journalists, calling for an end to detentions, investigations, and access restrictions, and for guarantees of press freedom. It also noted that Khadija Duman, owner of Atılım Gazetesi, and Özden Kınık, an employee of TRT, remain in detention.