Press freedom in Turkey continued to face challenges in 2024 as authorities intensifying their crackdown on independent journalism through systematic censorship, detentions, arrests and judicial harassment, according to a new report from BİA Media Monitoring.
The report details efforts to criminalize journalists and undermine media independence, exacerbating an already hostile environment for the press.
At least 57 journalists were detained throughout the year, including well-known journalists like Nevşin Mengü, who was taken into custody over an interview with Salih Müslim, one of the leaders of a Syrian Kurdish group that Turkey has designated as a terrorist organization. She faces more than seven years in prison.
Many of those detained were released with judicial restrictions, such as travel bans and mandatory check-ins. Özlem Gürses was put under house arrest and fitted with an electronic monitoring bracelet, a move that drew widespread criticism.
At least 10 journalists were imprisoned in 2024, with Kurdish media representatives and local reporters among those most frequently targeted. High-profile cases include journalists like Süleyman Gençel, Esra Solin Dal and Erdoğan Alayumat, who faced accusations ranging from “insulting public officials” to “ spreading terrorist propaganda.”
Turkey’s Constitutional Court (AYM) ruled in 2024 that certain practices, including online content bans imposed by lower courts and penalties from the Press Bulletin Authority (BİK), violated constitutional rights. Despite these decisions, authorities found new pretexts such as “national security” and “privacy concerns” to block access to at least 3,136 news articles and journalistic content.
The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) continued to stifle dissent, imposing fines totaling 72.1 million Turkish lira ($1,92 million), along with broadcast suspensions and program bans. Additionally, the council revoked the license of the independent broadcaster Açık Radyo, signaling an intensification of media suppression.
The report also documents an alarming rise in physical and verbal threats against journalists, often from political groups aligned with the ruling coalition.
At least 25 journalists and five media outlets experienced physical attacks, while 82 journalists were threatened, primarily by figures linked to the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). A lack of legal action against perpetrators has deepened concerns about press safety.
Judicial harassment also surged, with 36 journalists convicted on charges such as “insulting the president” or “targeting state officials.” Collectively, these cases resulted in sentences totaling nearly 98 years in prison and fines of TL 67,040 ($1,794). Meanwhile, 53 journalists were acquitted of similar charges.
Civil lawsuits targeting journalists for defamation escalated in 2024, with five reporters and six media organizations facing combined damages claims exceeding TL 4 million ($112,000). Notably, Halk Bank filed a TL 1 million ($280,000) defamation lawsuit against investigative journalist Timur Soykan and the BirGün newspaper over a report alleging the bank approved a TL 550 million ($15 million) loan to a criminal organization.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) condemned Turkey’s treatment of journalists, awarding €27,000 ($29,000) in damages to two reporters who were wrongfully detained. However, these rulings have done little to reverse the overall decline in press freedom.
According to the report, outlook of press freedom in Turkey remains grim in 2025. The government continues to wield the “disinformation law” as a tool to silence dissent, while proposed regulations targeting media outlets funded by international organizations have created additional unease. The erosion of judicial independence and mounting threats against journalists underscore the urgent need for reforms to protect press freedom in the country.
Turkey, which became the world’s biggest prison for journalists in 2018 during a state of emergency imposed after a coup attempt, was ranked 158th of 180 countries in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders.
