freedom of expression

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42 percent of blocked news related to AKP, pro-government people

FREE WEB TURKEY REPORT

42 percent of blocked news related to AKP, pro-government people

Access blocks affected at least 1,910 URLs, 870 of the blocked URLs contained news and 26 news websites were blocked from November 2019 to October 2020.

20 January 2021

Lawsuit against Managing Editor of Mezopotamya Agency

Lawsuit against Managing Editor of Mezopotamya Agency

A lawsuit has been filed against journalist Ferhat Çelik over a news report published on Mezopotamya Agency (MA) in October 2018. Çelik will have his first hearing at the penal court of first instance on February 2.

14 January 2021

‘Intervention against bar association chairs is a violation of rights’

TURKEY’S OMBUDSMAN INSTITUTION

‘Intervention against bar association chairs is a violation of rights’

The Ombudsman Institution (KDK) has concluded that the freedom of assembly and expression of bar association chairs was violated when they were prevented by the police from marching to the capital city of Ankara against the new Attorneys’ Act.

13 January 2021

‘Newroz’ lawsuit against journalist Melis Alphan

‘Newroz’ lawsuit against journalist Melis Alphan

A lawsuit has been filed against journalist Melis Alphan over a photo that she posted. Alphan now faces up to 7 years, 6 months in prison over this photo from Newroz celebrations in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

13 January 2021

Press Advertising Agency cuts public ads of BirGün over ‘RTÜK’ news

Press Advertising Agency cuts public ads of BirGün over ‘RTÜK’ news

In a news report in October 2020, daily BirGün documented the “public loss” of 450 thousand lira caused by the overseas trips of the members of Turkey’s media authority RTÜK. The public ads of the newspaper are now cut for three days over this report.

12 January 2021

Emine Erdoğan appeals columnist's acquittal over article about her 'Hermes bag'

Emine Erdoğan appeals columnist's acquittal over article about her 'Hermes bag'

The president's spouse had filed a lawsuit against columnist Ender İmrek, alleging that he insulted her by "not attributing good qualities to her."

12 January 2021 Hikmet Adal

‘They say reform to Europe, stifle the media!’

BİA MEDIA MONITOR - OCTOBER, NOVEMBER, DECEMBER 2020

‘They say reform to Europe, stifle the media!’

Turkey has entered 2021 with a crisis that might lead the Council of Europe to impose sanctions as Erdoğan has announced that he does not recognize the ECtHR judgement on jailed politician Selahattin Demirtaş. Not to mention other violations of rights…

11 January 2021 Erol Önderoğlu,Sinem Aydınlı

Constitutional Court gives third ruling of right violation for Şahin Alpay

Constitutional Court gives third ruling of right violation for Şahin Alpay

Turkey’s Constitutional Court has, for the third time, concluded that journalist Şahin Alpay’s “right to personal liberty and security” has been violated. This last application was about the house arrest given to the journalist in 2018.

7 January 2021 Ayça Söylemez

‘Turkey also hit by a pandemic of injustice in 2020’

CHP MP ERKEK

‘Turkey also hit by a pandemic of injustice in 2020’

Main opposition CHP Vice Chair Muharrem Erkek has prepared a report entitled “2020 Inventory of Injustice in Turkey.”

A TV channel was launched to 'bring back impartial reporting'; it survived for only 26 days

A TV channel was launched to 'bring back impartial reporting'; it survived for only 26 days

Olay TV didn't claim to be doing "critical reporting" but keeping "an equal distance to everyone," which wasn't apparently enough for the government.

29 December 2020

HRW: Turkey's media authority imposing punitive sanctions on critical media outlets

HRW: Turkey's media authority imposing punitive sanctions on critical media outlets

"The Radio and Television Supreme Council should stop serving as a means to censor and intimidate media," HRW's Europe and Central Asia director has said.

15 December 2020

Arrested after criticizing Erdoğan in a street interview, citizen released

Arrested after criticizing Erdoğan in a street interview, citizen released

Arrested after criticizing the AKP government and President and AKP Chair Erdoğan in a street interview in Antalya, İsmail Demirbaş has been released.

8 December 2020

Access block to JinNews, again

Access block to JinNews, again

Yet another access block was imposed on the website of JinNews news agency by a court decision on December 4. JinNews now publishes its news on its new address "http://www.jinnews15.xyz/”.

7 December 2020

Main opposition MP to pay damages to Minister of Defense for 'insult'

Main opposition MP to pay damages to Minister of Defense for 'insult'

President Erdoğan had said that MP Özel should be sued and pay compensation for his remarks against the minister.

3 December 2020

IPI report: Turkey's social media law, regulatory bodies threaten free public debate

IPI report: Turkey's social media law, regulatory bodies threaten free public debate

"The government is determined to use all available tools to suppress criticism whether on broadcasters, in print and online," says IPI Head of Europe Advocacy Oliver Money-Kyrle.

2 December 2020

Police raid on Mezopotamya Agency bureau in Van

Police raid on Mezopotamya Agency bureau in Van

Shortly after Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporter Dindar Karataş was detained in a house raid in early morning hours today, the MA Bureau in Van has been raided by the police, computers and hard disks have been seized.

24 November 2020

Journalist Dindar Karataş detained in Van province

Journalist Dindar Karataş detained in Van province

Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporter Dindar Karataş has been detained in a house raid in İpekyolu district in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority eastern province of Van.

24 November 2020

3 journalists acquitted of ‘insulting’ Berat Albayrak

3 journalists acquitted of ‘insulting’ Berat Albayrak

Uğur Koç, Mustafa Kömüş and İbrahim Aydın, the executives of daily BirGün, have been acquitted of “insulting a public official due to his or her duty” in the lawsuit filed by Albayrak, who has recently resigned from office as the Finance Minister.

20 November 2020

Journalist Aziz Oruç: You are a journalist, no matter where you are

Journalist Aziz Oruç: You are a journalist, no matter where you are

Recently released from Patnos Prison in eastern Turkey, journalist Aziz Oruç defines the outside world as “a partial freedom” and adds: “We need to foster journalists’ solidarity regardless of who works for which newspaper.”

13 November 2020 Evrim Kepenek

ECtHR: Prison sentence over Newroz speech violated freedom of expression

ECtHR: Prison sentence over Newroz speech violated freedom of expression

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has concluded that the freedom of expression of Halil İmrek has been violated as he was sentenced to prison over his Newroz speech in Adana province in 2016.

12 November 2020 Ayça Söylemez

Citizen arrested after criticizing Erdoğan in a street interview

'IS IT A CRIME TO CRITICIZE AKP?'

Citizen arrested after criticizing Erdoğan in a street interview

HDP Şırnak MP Kaçmaz has addressed a Parliamentary question to Vice President Oktay regarding a citizen who has been arrested after criticizing the ruling AKP and its Chair and President Erdoğan in a street interview in Antalya province.

12 November 2020

ECtHR: Freedom of expression of CHP Chair Kılıçdaroğlu is violated

ECtHR: Freedom of expression of CHP Chair Kılıçdaroğlu is violated

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has unanimously concluded that the damages paid by main opposition CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu to President and AKP Chair Erdoğan have violated his freedom of expression.

27 October 2020

24 people detained for ‘insulting the President’ in 8 months in Turkey

REPORT ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

24 people detained for ‘insulting the President’ in 8 months in Turkey

The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) has released a report on violations of freedom of expression in Turkey in the first eight months of 2020. Three people were arrested and one person faced an investigation for “insulting the President” in this period.

26 October 2020

Jinnews censored for the 11th time

Jinnews censored for the 11th time

The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) has blocked access to the "jinnews8.xyz" address of the Jinnews women’s news website.

23 October 2020

20 journalists arrested, 20 journalists attacked in Turkey in 9 months

20 journalists arrested, 20 journalists attacked in Turkey in 9 months

According to the Report on Violations of Freedom of Thought and Expression prepared by CHP MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu, 29 journalists-publishers-writers were convicted and 57 journalists faced an investigation-lawsuit in the first 9 months of 2020.

23 October 2020

ECtHR: Freedom of expression of academics Oran, Kaboğlu violated

ECtHR: Freedom of expression of academics Oran, Kaboğlu violated

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has concluded that freedom of expression of academics Baskın Oran and İbrahim Kaboğlu has been violated.

21 October 2020

Journalist on trial ‘with the lights on’

Journalist on trial ‘with the lights on’

Standing trial for having tweeted about Judge Akın Gürlek, journalist Söğütlü testified at court, where she also referred to the controversial “Lights are on” tweet of a Constitutional Court member. Her lawyer Öztürk has spoken to bianet about the trial.

14 October 2020 Ayça Söylemez

‘Domestic and national’ journalism by force of prison, censorship, seizure!

BİA MEDIA MONITORING / JULY-AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2020

‘Domestic and national’ journalism by force of prison, censorship, seizure!

The 3rd Quarterly BİA Media Monitoring Report shows that Turkey has become a country where journalists are detained for criticizing an Ottoman Sultan, TV channels are silenced for the same reason and violence against journalists ends in impunity.

13 October 2020 Erol Önderoğlu,Sinem Aydınlı,İdil Aydınoğlu

Journalist, documentary photographer Fatih Pınar acquitted of #NewrozPirozBe

Journalist, documentary photographer Fatih Pınar acquitted of #NewrozPirozBe

Put on trial for sharing a photo under the hashtag #NewrozPirozBe (Happy Newroz), journalist and documentarian Fatih Pınar has been acquitted of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization".

4 journalists detained in Van

4 journalists detained in Van

Police raided the office of Mezopotamya Agency (MA) in Turkey’s eastern province of Van, taking four journalists into custody.

Censorship censored as well

Censorship censored as well

A prisoner in Şakran Prison wanted to send his drawing to bianet. “We want a fair trial” was written on the drawing. But the prison administration censored it. When the prisoner wanted to write to bianet about this censorship, it was censored as well.

1 October 2020 Ayça Söylemez

55 journalists stood trial in September

55 journalists stood trial in September

Main opposition CHP former MP Barış Yarkadaş, also a journalist himself, has released his report on “Violations of Rights in Turkey’s Media” for September 2020.