Turkish authorities detained 14 journalists and arrested one in January, according to a monthly report released Tuesday by the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association.
The report said police and other authorities prevented 22 journalists from reporting at protests and other public events in January, while legal proceedings against 60 journalists continued and 26 journalists were in prison as of February 3, 2026.
The majority of the detentions came amid protests over clashes in Rojava, a Kurdish-led region in northeastern Syria, after Syrian government forces advanced into the area.
The association cited incidents during protests in several provinces, saying Ajansa Welat reporter Nedim Oruç was detained on January 14 in the Cizre district of Şırnak province while covering demonstrations and was later jailed on January 17.
It also reported injuries to journalists covering protests in the Suruç district of Şanlıurfa province, saying ANKA reporter Ahmet Ün was hit by a tear gas canister, while journalist Metin Yoksu was hospitalized after being struck in the head by a tear gas round.
The report said journalist Bekir Şeyhanlı was injured after being hit by an armored police vehicle and that journalist Kadir Cesur was struck by a plastic bullet in the eastern province of Van.
The association said the authorities blocked access to 458 digital media posts and other content in January, including 39 social media accounts it said were targeted for reporting on attacks on the Kurdish-led region in northeastern Syria. It also said websites belonging to the Mezopotamya Agency and Jinnews were blocked, along with three internet sites, and that 23 news reports were subject to access restrictions.
Turkey, which remains one of the world’s leading jailers of journalists, according to press freedom organizations, dropped to 159th out of 180 countries in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in early May.
