Turkish press organizations have called on journalists and the public to demonstrate across Turkey on Saturday against journalist arrests, state takeovers of opposition media and restrictions on news websites and social media accounts.
The demonstrations, scheduled for 2 p.m. on October 24, will mark the first anniversary of the state takeover of the pro-opposition TELE1 television station .
Organizers plan simultaneous protests under the slogan “No to censorship, freedom for news” in cities including Ankara, İstanbul, İzmir, Eskişehir, Antalya, Adana, Kocaeli, Van and Diyarbakır.
The groups include the Turkish Journalists Union (TGS), the Turkish Journalists Association (TGC), the Press Council and the Contemporary Journalists Association (ÇGD), along with regional associations and other media unions.
“We, as professional press organizations representing journalists who defend the public’s right to information and pursue the truth, declare: Enough is enough! We can’t breathe!” the groups said in a joint statement.
“We will not remain silent in a system where journalism is considered a crime, news a threat and the truth objectionable, and where not only journalists but anyone who objects is subjected to censorship.”
The groups condemned the detention of journalists over their reporting and the use of pretrial imprisonment when, they said, there was no risk of flight or evidence tampering. They also opposed house arrest enforced through electronic monitoring.
Calling press freedom a right belonging to all of society, the organizers invited political parties, unions, bar associations, rights groups and the public to join the demonstrations.
The groups said the demonstrations would carry the message, “The press is free and cannot be censored,” a provision enshrined in Article 28 of the Turkish Constitution.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) also expressed solidarity with journalists and media workers organizing the October 24 protests against censorship.
“The #IFJ stands in solidarity with journalists and media workers who are organising to defend press freedom and oppose censorship,” it said in a post on X.
The call follows the takeover of Halk TV and a growing crackdown on independent reporting and access to news.
On October 14 the government took control of Halk TV, one of the country’s leading pro-opposition news stations, as police raided its İstanbul headquarters and live broadcasts were halted. A court appointed the state-run Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) to manage the station and companies linked to its owner, Cafer Mahiroğlu.
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said the operation concerned allegations of bribery, bid rigging and money laundering against Mahiroğlu. Opposition politicians and press organizations condemned the takeover as an attack on press freedom and the public’s right to information.
On Wednesday X also made Halk TV’s account, which has about 3 million followers, unavailable in Turkey, implementing an October 14 blocking order, according to the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD).
The move came almost a year after an İstanbul court, on October 24, 2025, placed TELE1’s parent company under TMSF control during an espionage investigation targeting the station’s editor-in-chief, Merdan Yanardağ. He denied the allegations and was jailed pending trial.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) warned on October 12 that the crackdown was approaching a “crisis point,” reporting that at least 22 journalists had been arrested or detained under Turkey’s disinformation law this year. The law criminalizes publicly spreading information deemed false and carries prison sentences.
Online restrictions have also expanded. İFÖD reported that at least 1,270 X accounts were subject to blocking orders in September, with the platform subsequently withholding about 90 percent of them in Turkey. Those affected included journalists, news organizations, academics, economists and rights groups.
Turkey ranked 163rd among 180 countries and territories in Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) 2026 World Press Freedom Index, down from 159th in 2025. RSF says 90 percent of national media outlets are under government control.
This article is republished from Turkish Minute.
