Turkish authorities detained 12 journalists in July, two of whom were subsequently arrested, as pressure on the media continued with legal proceedings, restrictions on news coverage and digital censorship, according to a monthly report released by the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG).
Authorities cited news reports, social media posts and participation in past demonstrations as grounds for the detentions, the DFG said. Among those detained were Deutsche Welle Turkish Service reporter Alican Uludağ, T24 foreign news editor Buse Söğütlü, Odatv editor Ceren Erdoğdu and reporter Fermandar Kardeş for the pro-Kurdish Berû news agency.
Two of the journalists detained, Fatma Sibel Gürcihan and Cem Küçük, were subsequently jailed pending trial.
A total of 33 journalists stood trial in 14 cases in July. Many of the proceedings were adjourned to later dates, while judicial supervision measures remained in place.
The report highlighted the detention of several journalists in operations ahead of a NATO summit in Ankara. Police also obstructed reporters covering a protest against the summit in Ankara’s Kurtuluş Park on July 7, using shields to prevent filming and removing reporters from the area.
Journalist Hazar Dost, who was detained during the pre-summit operations, said police verbally abused him in a police vehicle, denied him access to a restroom and his regular medication at the police station and subjected to physical violence during his transfer to the courthouse.
BirGün reporter Ebru Çelik was threatened and placed under investigation over a report alleging that extras had been brought to a badge-pinning ceremony held by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP). BirGün web coordinator Uğur Koç and journalist Berkant Gültekin were summoned for questioning in the same investigation, while journalists Fatih Altaylı and Timur Soykan also gave statements.
The report documented access restrictions targeting 20 pieces of online content, two news reports and several news websites as well as 11 publication bans.
Pro-Kurdish news websites Nûmedya24, Azadîya Welat, Ajansa Welat and Nupel Haber were among those blocked, while the X accounts of Ajansa Welat and Nûmedya24 were withheld in Turkey. Jinnews’s account was blocked for the seventh time.
Journalists Diren Yurtsever, Öznur Değer, Alican Uludağ and Gülistan Gülmiş were among those whose personal X accounts were targeted by access restrictions.
The DFG said 27 journalists were behind bars in Turkey as of August 4.
Turkey was ranked 163rd out of 180 nations in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), falling four places from the previous year.
