Turkey violated the right to freedom of expression 432 times between 2002 and 2025, according to rulings by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), the Velev news website reported.
The judgments, issued under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), show that freedom of expression has remained one of Turkey’s most frequently violated rights.
Article 10 protects the right to express opinions and share information without state interference, allowing restrictions only in limited and strictly defined circumstances.
The court found violations of freedom of expression in 40 rulings against Turkey in 2018, the highest annual total. It issued 39 such rulings in 2005 and 35 in 2019.
By period, the court found 126 violations between 2003 and 2007, 65 between 2008 and 2012, and 66 between 2013 and 2017. The number rose to 145 between 2018 and 2022, before falling to 30 between 2023 and 2025.
Domestic rulings reflect a similar trend. Turkey’s Constitutional Court found 4,896 violations of freedom of expression between September 2012 and March 2026.
In practice, freedom of expression cases in Turkey have frequently involved journalists, activists and social media users facing detention, prosecution or imprisonment over their speech.
Press freedom groups say journalists continue to be detained or brought to trial, often in connection with their reporting or public commentary. Turkey has at times been ranked among the world’s leading jailers of journalists.
The crackdown intensified after a failed coup in 2016, when the government launched a sweeping campaign against perceived opponents, including journalists and academics.
Recent events illustrate the pattern. During protests in 2025, authorities detained journalists covering demonstrations during police raids and while reporting on the ground.
In the same period, more than 1,100 people — including journalists — were detained amid a broader crackdown on anti-government protests, as authorities also moved to restrict media coverage and access to social media platforms.
Rights groups and media organizations say such measures have contributed to a climate in which reporting, public commentary and even social media activity can lead to legal consequences, reinforcing concerns reflected in the ECtHR’s repeated findings against Turkey.
