In 2025, a total of 105 journalists were detained in Turkey, 40 of whom were arrested. In cases concluded during the year, 57 journalists were sentenced, according to the annual report of the Dicle-Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), a press freedom watchdog based in southeastern Turkey.
According to the report, 113 journalists were subjected to criminal investigations over the course of the year. Prosecutors later filed indictments in 88 cases. In cases concluded in 2025, courts handed down prison sentences totaling around 63 years and imposed fines amounting to 244,900 Turkish lira (approximately $5,670). As of January 5, 28 journalists remained behind bars.
Presenting the report on January 10, Turkey’s Working Journalists’ Day, the DFG stated that 42 journalists were subjected to ill-treatment, 22 were threatened, and 48 were prevented by security forces from carrying out their journalistic duties.
Online restrictions also intensified in 2025. Authorities imposed access bans on 113 websites and blocked 464 news reports as well as 1,519 social media posts.
The report also documents the economic impact of the crackdown on the media: 294 media workers lost their jobs in 2025.
The DFG further called for the democratization of broadcasting and internet regulatory bodies, arguing that the boards of the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) and the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) should not be dominated by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), as this undermines the independence of the regulators.
RTÜK has long been criticized by press freedom organizations for systematically censoring opposition media to silence critical voices and enforce a pro-government media narrative.
The association also called for an end to the blocking of social media accounts without court orders, the reopening of all shuttered websites and accounts, and the immediate release of all imprisoned journalists.
Turkey has for years faced repeated criticism from press freedom and human rights organizations. Posts involving senior government officials or politically sensitive topics are frequently targeted by government orders to social media platforms.
Over the past decade, press freedom in Turkey has sharply declined. Journalism has increasingly been targeted through legal pressure, arrests, and media takeovers. Journalists critical of the government or allied political parties face growing scrutiny under laws criminalizing “disinformation,” “insulting public officials,” and “terrorist propaganda.”
In the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, Turkey ranked 159th out of 180 countries.
