Turkey faces escalating press freedom concerns as journalists association documents more violations

ANKARA — Highlighting persistent challenges to freedom of the press in Turkey, journalist association Dicle Fırat Gazeteciler Derneği (DFG) released a report detailing numerous violations committed by the Turkish government of president Recep Tayyip Erdogan against journalists.

The November report by DFG shed light on a concerning reality, revealing that 62 journalists remain detained in Turkish prisons, among them the Co-Chairwoman of DFG.

The association denounced the detention of its Co-Chairwoman, framing it as an act of journalistic suppression by the authorities, indicative of escalating pressure against media practitioners.

According to the report, November witnessed the arrest of 5 journalists who now face trial on charges of disseminating disinformation, a move widely perceived as an attempt to curtail freedom of expression.

Additionally, the report highlighted an alarming incident in Şirnak, where two female journalists were physically assaulted, and their photographic equipment was destroyed. This episode unfolded concurrently with violence against journalists in Omid (Diyarbakir) on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Earlier assessments by the International Committee to Protect Journalists had already underscored Turkey as the leading country in the world for journalist detentions, amplifying concerns about the deteriorating state of press freedom in the nation.