Turkey’s press freedom has been worsening according to reports prepared by journalists’ organizations on the occasion of World Press Freedom.  Dozens of journalists have been behind bars in Turkey for their journalism activities.

News Center - Turkey ranked 154^th out of 180 countries in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index prepared by Reporters Without Borders (RFS). The RFS has announced its 2021 World Press Freedom Index: Journalism, the vaccine against disinformation, blocked in more than 130 countries.

The 2021 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says that journalism which is arguably the best vaccine against the virus of disinformation, is totally blocked or seriously impeded in 73 countries and constrained in 59 others, which together represent 73% of the countries evaluated. In the index, Turkey has ranked 153^rd out of 180 countries.

Journalists’ organizations have also released their reports to mark World Press Freedom Day, May 3. As of April 1, 43 journalists have been behind bars in Turkey, says the report prepared by the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) but according to the report prepared by the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) based in Diyarbakır, this number is 70.

TGS: Turkish prosecution launched investigations into some 101 journalists

Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) has announced its report for World Press Freedom Day. The report surveys incidents that took place between April 1, 2020, and April 1, 2021.

The report highlights the following issues;

·         Turkey’s Social Security Institution (SGK) reported 23,306 journalists in the country.

·         Some 27.7-percent of journalism school alumni in Turkey suffers from unemployment, a rate almost double the national 13.2 percent, according to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK). The real unemployment rate among journalists, including those who work without social security, would land somewhere between 35 and 40 percent.

·         Some 43 people are imprisoned in Turkey for their news reporting activities.

·         Imprisoned journalists experience human rights violations disguised under “COVID-19 restrictions.” They are barred from communicating with their families, socializing, receiving letters, and accessing healthcare services, and are subject to poor sanitary conditions.

·         “Membership to an armed organization” and “conducting propaganda for a terrorist organization” are the charges most commonly directed at journalists.

What happened in the last year?

·         Some 57 journalists spent a collective 144 days in police detention. Six journalists were battered in police custody.

·         Turkish prosecution launched investigations into some 101 journalists.

·         A total of 274 journalists were tried in 128 different cases in Turkish courts.

·         Turkish prosecution sentenced journalists to a total of 226 years, eight months, and 25 days in prison.

·         TGS spoke with 35 journalists in 12 different prisons to report human rights violations.

·         Some 44 journalists were physically assaulted in Turkey, while some 23 were verbally threatened.

·         Access bans were issued for 62 news outlets for 1,411 different pieces of news content, while prosecution ruled for 13 news stories to be removed from the Internet.

·         Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) issued a total of 7,488,851 Turkish Liras in monetary fines, and ruled for 41 broadcast arrests.

·         Turkish prosecution canceled 892 press cards in 2019, and some 322 in 2020. Meanwhile, 15,104 journalists hold a Presidential Press Card, the Communications Directorate reported to TGS.

·         Turkey’s Press Advertisement Agency (BİK) blocked media outlets’ advertisement revenue for a total of 212 days: 90 days for Cumhuriyet daily, 63 days for Evrensel, 39 for BirGün and 20 for Sözcü and Korkusuz.

DGF: 70 journalists are behind bars

According to the monthly report prepared by the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), 70 journalists have been behind bars. The association issued a statement in March about their latest report and said;

“These policies of the AKP-MHP government coalition (Justice and Development Party-AKP and Nationalist Movement Party- MHP) have reached a level that will completely abolish the freedom of the press. If this happens, it will bring great darkness. In order to prevent society from being imprisoned in darkness, the oppressive policies should be abandoned and the rights of both journalists and society should be respected. The journalist should be able to cover all kinds of news within the framework of basic principles.”

Journalists have banned from recording

Pressures against journalists have increased in Turkey especially during the pandemic. Journalists have been banned from recording any footage and voice of police during protests or actions for protecting “security officials’ privacy.” On May Day, dozens of journalists were detained for recording footage of protests.