Press freedom in Turkey deteriorated further in 2025 as authorities tightened control over the media through prosecutions, regulatory penalties and online censorship. Pressure escalated during the political crisis triggered by the removal from office and arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, when restrictions increased across broadcast media and social media platforms and journalists faced new legal cases tied to their reporting.
Pro-opposition broadcasters were among the main targets. The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), Turkey’s media regulator, imposed fines and other penalties on several stations over their coverage of İmamoğlu’s case and the protests that followed, including 10-day blackouts that took channels off the air. RTÜK imposed 99 sanctions in 2025, fining broadcasters and digital platforms approximately $5.3 million, with most penalties targeting news and political commentary critical of the government.
Online censorship expanded throughout the year. According to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, Turkey blocked 27,304 social media accounts in the first four months of 2025 alone. Courts blocked access to 3,330 URLs linked to 1,306 pieces of online content in the first seven months of the year. Authorities also restricted protest-related content by blocking accounts and posts, while platforms including X and YouTube limited access in Turkey to accounts belonging to journalists, activists and media organizations, including those operating from exile. X blocked access to at least 42 journalist and activist accounts, while Bluesky restricted access to 72 accounts and one post following government pressure.
Journalists also remained under heavy legal pressure, with 24 detentions recorded in 2025, including YouTube hosts, television anchors and staff members of a satirical magazine. Reporters were prosecuted over news reports, interviews and social media posts, with charges ranging from “insulting the president” to terrorism-related accusations. Kurdish journalists and Kurdish media organizations faced repeated arrests and indictments, while courts pursued cases against satire and commentary deemed offensive to religious values.
Journalists were also prosecuted in cases linked to the faith-based Gülen movement, including for expressing condolences after the death of Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen.
The broader legal climate around free speech also tightened. Over a 12-month period, 1,696 people were put on trial, and pretrial detentions rose by 560 percent, reinforcing concerns about use of the courts to deter dissent.
Journalists also faced physical threats and violence. Some were assaulted after publishing stories on corruption or local misconduct, while others reported death threats. Pressure also reached beyond Turkey, with journalists living in exile describing continued threats to their safety.
Foreign journalists were also affected. A Swedish journalist was detained upon arrival in Turkey, planning to cover protests, and a BBC correspondent was deported after being accused of posing a threat to public order.
New legislation added to concerns about future restrictions. A cybersecurity law that entered into force in March expanded the powers of the Cybersecurity Directorate, allowing for the search and seize of digital materials without judicial approval. The law also introduced prison sentences for disseminating “false information” about data breaches.
Turkey’s international standing reflected the year’s developments. The country ranked 159th out of 180 in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, and separate research found trust in news in Turkey had fallen to its lowest level in a decade.
Below is a roundup of key developments from 2025about press freedom in Turkey:
Journalist detained in Turkey over social media post for the 14th time
Journalist Ahmet Erkan Yiğitsözlü was briefly detained on January 6 over a post on X, marking the 14th time he has been taken into custody. More…
Turkey arrested 6 Kurdish journalists on terrorism charges
A Turkish court on January 17 ruled for the arrest of six Kurdish journalists who were detained in a police operation across several provinces in January. More…
Turkish court handed down prison sentences to journalists in retrial due to Gülen links
A Turkish court sentenced six journalists to prison on terrorism-related charges due to their alleged links to the Gülen movement in a retrial following a Supreme Court of Appeals ruling that overturned their previous convictions. More…
Turkish court’s arrest of Halk TV editor-in-chief ‘a political move’ to silence media: CPJ
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned a Turkish court’s order to arrest Halk TV Editor-in-Chief Suat Toktaş after the opposition-aligned network aired an interview with a court-appointed expert witness, saying it is a political move to silence critical voices. More…
X blocked access to at least 42 journalist, activist accounts in Turkey
Social media platform X blocked access to at least 42 accounts belonging to Turkish journalists, activists and media organizations operated by journalists living in exile, marking yet another act of censorship. More…
Kurdish journalist arrested over social media posts about colleagues killed in drone strike
Turkish authorities on February 11 arrested Öznur Değer, a reporter for JINNEWS, over social media posts about two Kurdish journalists killed in a drone strike in northern Syria. More…
Vice News reporters acquitted in Turkey after 9-year terrorism trial
On March 17, a Turkish court acquitted two Vice News journalists of terrorism-related charges after a nine-year trial stemming from their reporting in Turkey’s restive southeast in 2015. More…
Turkey blocked hundreds of social media accounts after protests over İstanbul mayor’s detention and subsequent arrest
Turkish authorities on March 23 blocked access to dozens of social media accounts that has posted about protests following the detention and subsequent arrest and removal from office of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. More…
Swedish journalist detained on arrival in Turkey: FM
Swedish journalist Joakim Medin was detained upon arrival in Turkey, where he was intending to cover anti-government demonstrations. More…
Turkey deported BBC reporter for ‘posing threat to public order’
BBC correspondent Mark Lowen was deported from Turkey on March 27 after being detained in İstanbul on March 26 on accusations that he posed a “threat to public order.” More…
Turkey fined Meta for refusing to suspend protest-linked accounts
Facebook parent Meta on April 1 said it was fined a “substantial amount” in Turkey for failing to comply with government orders to suspend accounts linked to widespread protests following the detention of the opposition mayor of İstanbul. More…
Bluesky restricted access to 72 accounts in Turkey amid government pressure
On April 17, Bluesky restricted access to 72 accounts and one post in Turkey, marking a shift for the decentralized social media platform that had previously resisted government censorship. More…
Journalist received suspended sentence on conviction of insulting, slandering Erdoğan
A Turkish court on April 18 handed down a two-year suspended sentence to journalist Furkan Karabay due to comments he made about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his children during an interview on a YouTube program last year. More…
Swedish reporter got 11-month suspended sentence for insulting Erdoğan
A Turkish court on Wednesday gave a Swedish journalist a suspended sentence of just over 11 months for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. More…
Turkey ranked 159th in new press freedom index: RSF
Turkey dropped to 159th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, published on May 2 by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). More…
Turkish journalist arrested due to reports on investigations into opposition mayors
Turkish journalist Furkan Karabay was arrested on May 15 on charges of insulting the president and targeting public officials involved in counterterrorism efforts in his reports and social media posts concerning investigations into opposition mayors, his lawyer said. More…
Turkey blocked 27,304 social media accounts in first four months of 2025: minister
Turkey’s interior minister said on May 7 that 27,304 social media accounts had been blocked in the first four months of 2025 as part of the country’s expanding digital crackdown. More…
CPJ urged Turkey to safeguard journalist after death threats tied to court bribery story
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on May 19 called on Turkish authorities to protect a reporter and his family after they received death threats in response to his report alleging a $2.5 million bribe to avoid detention in a court case tied to organized crime. More…
Covert deal hinted Sweden traded release of Swedish reporter for crackdown on exiled Turkish journalists
Sweden may have quietly agreed to disrupt the activities of Turkish journalists living in exile within its borders in exchange for the release of detained Swedish journalist Joakim Medin. More…
Turkish regulator ordered 10-day blackout of pro-opposition TV station
Turkey’s media watchdog on May 28 ordered a 10-day broadcast blackout of the pro-opposition Sözcü TV, starting June 1, penalizing the station for its coverage of nationwide protests following the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a prominent opposition figure. More…
Trust in news in Turkey plunged to lowest level in a decade
Trust in news in Turkey has plunged to its lowest level since 2015, while a pro-government outlet has become the least trusted media organization in the country, according to the 2025 Digital News Report from the University of Oxford’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. More…
Turkish court jailed 4 LeMan staff members over cartoon allegedly insulting religious values
Four staff members of the Turkish satirical magazine LeMan were jailed pending trial on July 2 on charges of “publicly insulting religious values” after being taken into police custody on June 30 over a controversial cartoon. More…
Pro-opposition networks went dark for 10 days due to coverage of protests over arrest of İmamoğlu
Turkey’s broadcasting watchdog imposed simultaneous 10-day broadcast blackouts on opposition-aligned Halk TV and Sözcü TV starting July 8, following separate rulings that penalize both outlets over their coverage of mass protests after the arrest of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. More…
Turkey opened Spotify probe after ‘provocative playlist’ complaint
Turkey’s competition authority on July 4 opened an investigation into Spotify over alleged anti-competitive practices, while a deputy culture minister called forlegal action against the music streaming platform for hosting playlists deemed offensive to religious values and the president’s wife. More…
Turkish journalist jailed after reporting on extortion scheme involving local officials using Erdoğan’s name
A Turkish journalist was arrested after publishing articles alleging that officials in the central province of Nevşehir invoked the names of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya when pressuring local businesspeople for money, sparking criticism from press freedom advocates. More…
Turkey’s media regulator threatened pro‑opposition BirGün TV with ban, critics cited weaponization of licensing
Turkey’s media regulator on September 4 gave pro‑opposition outlet BirGün TV 72 hours to apply for a license or face an access ban, a move opposition members said shows how licensing rules are being used to pressure critical media. More…
Turkish journalist faced up to 15 years on charges of insulting Erdoğan, officials
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office sought six to 15 years in prison for journalist Furkan Karabay on charges of “insulting the president,” “repeatedly targeting public officials involved in counterterrorism efforts” and “insulting a public official.” More…
Turkey blocked exiled journalist Dündar’s YouTube channel over protest call
An İstanbul court ordered a block on the YouTube channel of journalist Can Dündar, who lives in exile, citing national security and public order after he urged opposition supporters to protest government‑appointed trustees. More…
Turkey blocked access to Grok’s X account, citing national security
Turkish authorities on September 11 blockedaccess to the X account of Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot developed by Elon Musk’s xAI, under a law that allows content restrictions on national security grounds. More…
Turkish journalist received suspended sentence for reporting on pro‑government university official
A Turkish court on September 9 handed down a one‑year, eight‑month suspended sentence to journalist Mehmet Baran Kılıç on charges of “unlawful acquisition and dissemination of personal data” for his reports about the secretary‑general of Boğaziçi University. More…
Turkish broadcast regulator fined three pro‑opposition TV stations
Turkey’s broadcast regulator fined three pro‑opposition TV stations on October 3, citing critical on‑air commentary and a subtitle error, sparking criticism over the continued use of financial penalties against opposition media. More…
CPJ urged probe after Turkish journalist beaten in suspected retaliation over corruption reporting
A Turkish journalist was assaulted in suspected retaliation for his reporting on alleged local corruption, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on October 6, urging authorities to bring both the attackers and those who ordered the assault to justice. More…
Photojournalist who had captured police killing of Kurdish student faced fourth terrorism indictment
A Turkish prosecutor on October 10 issued a fourth indictment against photojournalist Abdurrahman Gök, who took pictures of a Kurdish university student being shot to death by police in 2017. More…
Journalist covering environmental issues fought for his life after attack in Istanbul
Turkish journalist and environmental activist Hakan Tosun was in intensive care after being brutally assaulted in İstanbul, in what his family and colleagues suspect was a targeted attack related to his reporting on environmental issues. More…
CPJ urged Turkey to protect 3 journalists facing death threats
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) on October 21 called on Turkish authorities to ensure the security of three reporters who received death threats in connection with their work. More…
Kurdish journalist sentenced over posts on colleagues killed in Turkish drone strike in Syria
A Turkish court sentenced journalist and news editor Öznur Değer to more than three years in prison over social media posts about two Kurdish journalists who were killed in a Turkish drone attack in Syria. More…
Turkey’s Erdoğan again named among RSF’s ‘Press Freedom Predators’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was again listed among the world’s worst violators of press freedom in the 2025 edition of Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) “Press Freedom Predators” list. More…
Turkey blocked journalist’s X account after posts targeting foundation led by Erdoğan’s son
Turkish authorities on November 4 blocked access to journalist Serdar Akinan’s account on X after he shared posts alleging misconduct by a youth foundation led by Bilal Erdoğan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son. More…
Sweden rejected Turkey’s extradition request for journalist Abdullah Bozkurt
Sweden on November 13 rejected Turkey’s request to extradite journalist living in exile Abdullah Bozkurt, ruling that the accusations against him are not punishable under Swedish law and therefore cannot form the basis for extradition. More…
Turkish prosecutor indicted 2 Kurdish journalists over reporting on military torture allegations
A Turkish prosecutor on November 25 indicted two Kurdish journalists for reporting on torture allegations against a gendarmerie commander, accusing them of “targeting a public official.” More…
EU rapporteur slammed ‘absurd’ sentence for prominent Turkish journalist as press groups urged release
European Parliament Turkey rapporteur Nacho Sanchez Amor on November 26 condemned Turkey for sentencing journalist Fatih Altaylı to over four years in prison, with press groups calling the case another severe blow to media freedom and urging his release. More…
Turkey arrested another YouTube journalist for allegedly insulting Erdoğan
Arif Kocabıyık, a journalist known for his street interviews, was arrested by a court on December 6 on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. More…
Pro‑government Turkish journalist arrested after social media post criticizing justice minister
Zihni Çakır, a journalist known for his pro‑government stance, was arrested on December 20 following a social media post in which he criticized Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, the T24 news website reported. More…
