A total of 105 journalists were detained in Turkey in 2025, with 40 arrested and 57 sentenced in cases concluded during the year, according to an annual report by the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), a press freedom watchdog based in southeastern Turkey.
According to the report 113 journalists were the subject of criminal investigations during the year, with prosecutors later filing indictments for 88 of them. Courts handed down prison sentences totaling approximately 63 years and imposed fines amounting to 244,900 Turkish lira (around $5,670) in cases concluded in 2025, while 28 journalists were behind bars as of January 5.
Presenting the findings on January 10, Turkey’s Working Journalists Day, DFG reported that 42 journalists were subjected to ill-treatment, 22 were threatened and 48 were prevented from carrying out their reporting duties by law enforcement officers.
Restrictions on journalism also intensified online in 2025, with authorities imposing access bans on 113 websites and blocking 464 news reports and 1,519 social media posts.
The report also documented the economic impact of the crackdown, with 294 media workers fired in 2025.
The DFG also called for the democratization of Turkey’s broadcasting and internet regulators, saying the boards of the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) and the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) should not be dominated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which the association says undermines the independence of the regulatory bodies.
RTÜK has been criticized by press freedom groups for systematically censoring opposition media to silence dissenting voices and enforce a pro-government media narrative.
The association also called for an end to the blocking of social media accounts without judicial rulings, the reopening of all shuttered websites and social media accounts, and the immediate release of all imprisoned journalists.
Turkey has faced repeated criticism from press freedom groups and human rights organizations for its restrictions on free expression and its pressure on independent journalism. Social media platforms are frequently targeted by government orders, especially when posts involve high-ranking officials or politically sensitive material.
Turkey has seen a sharp decline in press freedom over the past decade, with journalism frequently targeted through legal pressure, arrests and media takeovers.
Journalists critical of the government or allied political parties have faced increasing scrutiny under laws criminalizing “disinformation,” “insulting public officials” and “terrorist propaganda.”
Turkey, which has been suffering from a poor record of freedom of the press for years, was ranked 159th among 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2025 World Press Freedom Index.
