content tagged with freedom of expression

Minister: Turkey blocked 108 million attempts to access 'harmful' websites in a decade

Minister: Turkey blocked 108 million attempts to access 'harmful' websites in a decade

Those "harmful" websites are primarily identified through the filtration of various keywords, which at times results in the blocking of LGBTI+ websites.

Over 137,000 web addresses blocked in Turkey in 2022 in new record

Over 137,000 web addresses blocked in Turkey in 2022 in new record

Among the blocked web addresses, over 6,000 were news articles. "Violation of privacy" was the most common reason for censoring news reports.

26 July 2023 Hikmet Adal

Artists face escalating pressure with attacks, event bans

Artists face escalating pressure with attacks, event bans

The latest monitoring report indicates that the pressure on artists is intensifying, marked by a surge in attacks and the continued practice of concert bans by authorities, which emerged as a concerning trend last year.

Poet Ahmet Telli given 'terror propaganda' sentence for reciting poem

Poet Ahmet Telli given 'terror propaganda' sentence for reciting poem

Telli has been given a deferred prison sentence for "terrorist propaganda" because of reciting a poem from his book years ago.

Journalists Union of Turkey: 'We will not allow journalism to be destroyed in this country'

Journalists Union of Turkey: 'We will not allow journalism to be destroyed in this country'

We will continue our fight both for freedom of press and freedom of expression and also for our rights, carrying on from where we were," said Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) President Durmuş.

29 May 2023 Hikmet Adal

Appeals court overturns social media user's sentence for calling Bahçeli a 'dotard'

Appeals court overturns social media user's sentence for calling Bahçeli a 'dotard'

The social media user had been fined for "insulting" the MHP leader.

18 April 2023 Ayça Söylemez

Graphic artist faces up to four years in jail for depicting Erdoğan's 'sluts' rant

Graphic artist faces up to four years in jail for depicting Erdoğan's 'sluts' rant

Visual artist Berkay Kahvecioğlu faces a prison sentence for creating a painting of Erdoğan accompanied by the caption "slut". The artwork referenced the president's derogatory comments against the Gezi Park protesters.

11 April 2023 Hikmet Adal

Freedom House: Turkey's elections among most vulnerable in the world

Freedom House: Turkey's elections among most vulnerable in the world

The low score reflects the government's concentration of power, strict laws criminalizing online expression, and extra-legal efforts to stifle dissent and independent journalism, according to the report.

Police detain journalist in Mersin

Police detain journalist in Mersin

Hamdullah Bayram working for Yeni Yaşam newspaper was detained in the scope of the investigation of the eleven correspondents of Mezopotamya Agency and JINNEWS.

Arrests over social media posts about quakes rise to 43

Arrests over social media posts about quakes rise to 43

The police identified over 1,100 social media users and took legal action against 730 of them.

Appeals court upholds Korur-Fincancı's conviction for 'insulting Erdoğan'

Appeals court upholds Korur-Fincancı's conviction for 'insulting Erdoğan'

Korur-Fincancı was sentenced to pay a fine for insulting then-PM Erdoğan in 2013.

Documentary filmmaker Sibel Tekin arrested for 'filming police car'

Documentary filmmaker Sibel Tekin arrested for 'filming police car'

Colleagues are calling for immediate release of documentary Tekin, whom they describe as "the memory of Ankara."

19 December 2022

Journalist goes to top court once again after local court refuses to recognize its ruling

Journalist goes to top court once again after local court refuses to recognize its ruling

Hacı Boğatekin wrote a column in his newspaper in 2011 criticizing Mehmet Metiner, recently elected MP from the ruling party, asking him if he was "a renegade or a cow" and he was sentenced to compensation by the local court for insulting the politician.

12 December 2022 Hikmet Adal

Top appeals court overturns 'terror' conviction over yellow-red-green necklace

Top appeals court overturns 'terror' conviction over yellow-red-green necklace

A necklace he was wearing while participating in Saturday Mothers demonstration five years ago was grounds for allegations of terrorist propaganda against Yavuz Baki. The local court had associated the colors of the necklace with the PKK.

9 December 2022 Ayça Söylemez

Report: Fewer journalists in prison but more face trials, fines in Türkiye

Report: Fewer journalists in prison but more face trials, fines in Türkiye

While the number of incarcerated journalists are significantly lower compared to the period after the 2016 coup attempt, the government is still using court cases to intimidate journalists, according to a monitoring group.

6 December 2022 Hikmet Adal

Medical Association of Germany calling for release of Turkish Medical Association chair

Medical Association of Germany calling for release of Turkish Medical Association chair

Medical Association of Germany and the medical unions in Berlin, Hessen and Hamburg, the medical peace organization (IPPNW), the Democratic Doctors Association and the union of medical students in Germany have requested that Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur-Fincancı be released.

8 November 2022

Constitutional Court to examine ‘disinformation law’ in respect of substance

Constitutional Court to examine ‘disinformation law’ in respect of substance

The main opposition party had applied to the top court demanding of a provision that triggered "censorship" criticism.

27 October 2022

Turkish Medical Association head responds to investigation over 'chemical attack' statement

Turkish Medical Association head responds to investigation over 'chemical attack' statement

Prof. Korur-Fincancı said the media outlet that interviewed her misrepresented her statements, whereas the investigation against her gives her the impression of "concealing a crime."

21 October 2022

Freedom House reports continued decline in internet freedom in Turkey

Freedom House reports continued decline in internet freedom in Turkey

The 2022 edition of Freedom on the Net report by Freedom House finds that conditions deteriorated in 28 countries, while 26 countries experienced gains. Türkiye is among the countries with deteriorating conditions with a score that has fallen to 32 /100 this year, from 34/100 last year, both of which indicate a 'not free' status for internet freedom.

19 October 2022

Forty-eight more articles about Erdoğan's former lawyer censored

Forty-eight more articles about Erdoğan's former lawyer censored

Previously, a court had blocked 130 articles, including two news reports on bianet, about Mustafa Doğan İnal.

16 August 2022 Hikmet Adal

Worker's firing over Facebook post about manager violated free expression, rules top court

Worker's firing over Facebook post about manager violated free expression, rules top court

A worker was dismissed because of social media posts about pressures faced by subcontract workers.

Top court overturns journalist's sentence for reporting on 'excavations after imam's dream'

Top court overturns journalist's sentence for reporting on 'excavations after imam's dream'

A local journalist was sentenced for reporting on excavations in Adıyaman based on a cleric's dream that "a martyr of Islam wants his grave to be relocated."

Groom and guests arrested for wearing yellow, red, and green colors at the wedding

Groom and guests arrested for wearing yellow, red, and green colors at the wedding

The groom wearing a yellow, red, and green shawl during the wedding and guests singing in Kurdish have been arrested for "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" in İstanbul.

Imprisoned Kurdish singer Nudem Durak: I want to be free before I lose my voice

A SONG FROM PRISON

Imprisoned Kurdish singer Nudem Durak: I want to be free before I lose my voice

Durak called for solidarity by singing the song “Çiyayên me” during a conversation on a phone from prison

Investigation into lawyers over statement about Turkey's Afrin operation dismissed 4 years later

Investigation into lawyers over statement about Turkey's Afrin operation dismissed 4 years later

"The real crime was opening an investigation into a statement for the press. Positive that a case was not filed but not giving the decision for four years kept those who were investigated under pressure," lawyer Kemal Aytaç has said.

11 April 2022 Ayça Söylemez

Newspaper’s payment of damages to an MP over news 'violated its rights’

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

Newspaper’s payment of damages to an MP over news 'violated its rights’

Turkey’s top court has concluded that the rights of a local newspaper were violated when it was sentenced to pay damages to former CHP MP Pekşen: “It poses a serious obstacle to the discussion of issues concerning public good".

Writer Yavuz Ekinci sentenced to prison over Newroz, Kobanî posts

Writer Yavuz Ekinci sentenced to prison over Newroz, Kobanî posts

Put on trial for “propagandizing for a terrorist organization”, writer Yavuz Ekinci has been sentenced to 1 year, 6 months, 22 days in prison.

IPI condemns AKP’s omnibus bill foreseeing prison term for news on companies

IPI condemns AKP’s omnibus bill foreseeing prison term for news on companies

The International Press Institute has “strongly condemned” the new measures proposed by the government that would lead journalists to face up to 3 years in prison for news that “undermines trust” or “damages the reputation” of finance companies.

Put on trial over ‘Kurdistan’ post, academic Kutum acquitted

Put on trial over ‘Kurdistan’ post, academic Kutum acquitted

In the trial over the “Kurdistan” word in his social media message, academic Hifzullah Kutum has been acquitted of “terror propaganda”.

Rights group monitored 49 trials: 2 journalists, 1 writer sentenced to 112 months in prison

FEBRUARY 2022

Rights group monitored 49 trials: 2 journalists, 1 writer sentenced to 112 months in prison

The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) has released its Trial Monitoring Report for February: "'Insulting the president' charge constituted 7 percent of the charges. 75 percent of the evidence cited for this charge was social media posts".

Access block to PİRHA, Yeni Yaşam news websites

Access block to PİRHA, Yeni Yaşam news websites

The Hatay 1st Criminal Judgeship of Peace has imposed an access block on the websites of Pir News Agency and Yeni Yaşam newspaper.

'The first casualty of war is the truth, we journalists side with peace, not war'

JOURNALISTS' UNION OF TURKEY

'The first casualty of war is the truth, we journalists side with peace, not war'

The TGS has released a statement about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and criticized Twitter for profiling the employees of Russia-based Sputnik news website. The union has also requested that peace be established as soon as possible.