The crackdown on press freedom in Turkey and the pressure on journalists are also reflected in international reports. The Monitoring Report on Violations of Media and Press Freedom prepared by the Media Freedom Rapid Response organization, which examines the member and candidate countries of the European Union stated that “systematic repressions” against the press continue in Turkey. The report emphasizes that Turkey is one of the countries that imprisons journalists the most worldwide.
The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) organization, which operates to monitor violations of press and media freedom in European Union members and candidate countries, shared its report covering the first six months of the year.
A special section on a number of countries, including Turkey, was in the Monitoring Report on Violations of Media and Press Freedom.
It is stated in the Monitoring Report on Violations of Media and Press Freedom between the June January period that “Turkey’s total attack on press and media freedom continued as systematic pressure on independent media, and in the first six months of the year 2022, this trend showed an increase”
According to DW Turkish, the report contains the following statements: “When the arrests and conviction decisions were evaluated, Turkey continues to be one of the countries that imprison journalists and media workers the most worldwide.”
Between January and June 2022, 171 individuals or media organizations were attacked in Turkey and 71 press freedom violations were recorded by Mapping Media Freedom (MAPMF), the Database for Monitoring and Reporting Violations of Press and Media Freedom. It was pointed out that 45 journalists were in prison at the time of the publication of the report.
“While increased charges and arbitrary arrests makes difficult criticizing news about the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), physical attacks against journalists by police and private parties led to the creation of a working environment hostile and dangerous,” as the report stated.
EXTRADITION REQUEST FOR 2 JOURNALISTS IN SWEDEN AND FINLAND
It was noted that the most common threat to journalism in Turkey continues to be violations carried out through the law, accounting for more than half (59.2 percent) of the recorded cases and police raids on the offices of news organizations and the homes of journalists and arbitrarily imposed detentions accounted for about a third (31 percent) of the cases.
According to the report, the Turkish government requested the extradition of two journalists from Sweden to Turkey during the NATO accession negotiations of Sweden and Finland in June.
The report stated that journalists in Turkey were subjected to physical violence by the police, especially while following the protests, and in one out of every three recorded cases (33.8 percent), the police or state security was mentioned as the source of press freedom violation. In April, at least twelve journalists were physically attacked or subjected to police intervention while following a press release commemorating the Massacre took place in May 1st, 1977, according to the report.
It was also stated that journalists were subjected to physical violence and death threats, as well as sexist harassment via the Internet. The report also noted that the Supreme Council of Radio and Television (RTÜK) continues to impose sanctions on media organizations in a discriminatory manner and block access to web sites.