Dies ist eine HTML Version eines Anhanges der Informationsfreiheitsanfrage 'Turkish pressure on European media/journalists'.










Political Prosecution of Journalists 
 
 
 
 
 
Hidayet Karaca 
Bulent Kenes  
Gultekin Avci 
Samanyolu TV Chief 
Editor in Chief of Today’s Zaman 
Columnist for Bugun Daily 
Has been in a high security 
Imprisoned on October 10, 2015 
Arrested on September 20, 2015; 
prison since December 14, 2014   over tweets “insulting Erdogan” 
wasn’t allowed to testify in court 
 
 
 
 
 
Mehmet Baransu   
Jake Hanrahan; 
Muhammed Rasool 
Columnist & Correspondent for Taraf 
Philip Pendlebury 
Iraqi Journalist 
Arrested on March 2, 2014; 
VICE Journalists 
Arrested w/ VICE journalists on 
solitary confinement in high 
Detained alongside M. Rasool; 
Aug. 28, 2015 for “links to terror 
security prison  
were released six days later 
organizations”- was not released 
 
 
 
 
 
Ekrem Dumanli 
Frederike Geerdink 
Ugur Dundar  
Ex-Editor-in-Chief of Zaman 
Dutch Reporter in Diyarbakir 
Columnist for Sozcu, TV producer 
Detained on Dec. 14, 2014 for 
Detained twice in 2015 for “PKK 
Jail sentence of 11 months and 20 
“leading a terrorist organization”  propaganda” -deported on Sep. 9  days for “insulting Erdogan” 








 
 
 
 
 
Sedef Kabas 
Can Dundar 
Ivan Watson 
Journalist; TV Presenter 
Editor-in-Chief of Cumhuriyet Daily 
Ex- Istanbul Correspondent for CNN 
Detained in Dec. 30, 2014 over 
Erdogan filed a criminal 
Detained filming a live news 
tweet on government corruption;   complaint against him for 
report on 2014 Taksim 
Acquitted on October 6, 2015 
publishing images of arms 
demonstrations 
allegedly being shipped to Syria; 
life sentence was requested 
 
 
 
 
Ahmet Altan  
Stephen Kinzer 
Hasan Cemal  
Journalist; ex Editor-in-Chief of Taraf 
Journalist; Academic 
Journalist; Chairman of Platform for 
Ankara Public Prosecutor's Office  Honorary Turkish citizenship 
Independent Journalism (P24) 
opened investigation on Sep. 20, 
revoked in May 2015 for article 
Was called by the İstanbul Chief 
2015 for insulting Erdogan 
in Boston Globe on Erdogan’s 
Public Prosecutor's Office to 
palace 
testify over column on Erdogan 
 
 
 
 
Ahmet Hakan 

Columnist for Hurriyet & TV Producer at CNN Türk 
Has been injured after an assault in front of his home by a group of 
AKP supporters lead by an AKP parliamentarian in front of his house 
on October 1, 2015 because of his criticism against Erdogan and 
AKP.  He suffered serious injuries and was hospitalized.   
. 
 
 
 
 






 
Pressure on Media Companies 
  
 
 
Koza Ipek Holding (Bugun and Kanalturk)  
 Hurriyet 
-Tax inspections 
-Huge tax fines  
-Raided by police on Sep. 1, 2015 only hours 
-Group of 200 attacked Hurriyet headquarters on 
after Bugun published photos showing 
Sep. 7, 2015 with sticks and stones; one organizer 
clandestine shipment of materials used to make 
of the attack is an AKP MP; occurred immediately 
arms for ISIS militants in Syria 
after Erdogan called out the Dogan media group) 
 
 
 
Nokta (Turkish Magazine) 
 Zaman Newspaper/ Today’s Zaman 
-raided on Sep. 14, 2015 
-Raided on Dec. 14, 2015 and Oct. 10, 2016  
-copies were seized for mock Erdogan selfie with  - 23 arrested during the first raid accused of 
the coffin of a soldier (an allusion to comments 
“forming an illegal organization and trying to 
that families of soldiers killed by Kurdish rebels 
seize control of the state”  
could be happy about their martyrdom) 
 
 
The following were subject to either harsh fines     
or tax inspections:  
 
Cihan News Agency 
Hurriyet Newspaper 
Taraf Newspaper 
Halk TV 
 
Samanyolu TV Group  
-Raided on December 14, 2014 
-Struck with large tax fines  







 
Continuous raids on Gulen-inspired schools and NGOs 
 
 

20 police raid Izmit office of Kimse Yok 
Mu
 humanitarian organization 
(Ecosoc Member) on Sep. 2, 2015 
 
 
 

Police raided daycare centers in 
Zonguldak with inspectors on August 
7, 2015   
 
 
 
 

Counterterrorism units raided 
Samanyolu kindergarden in Ankara on 
September 21, 2015 
 
 
 
 
 














 
Censorship of Social Media (Direct)  
 
 
a. 
July 22, 2015 - After the deadly bombing in the Turkish city of Suruç, and just three months after 
the country’s last ban on social media, a Turkish court extended another gag order to a national ban of 
content on Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook, as well as 38 news websites. 
 
b. 
October 8, 2015 -After the Ankara bomb attack that killed 97 people , Prime Ministry declared 
temporary media ban on all news outlets from covering the Ankara bomb attack.  
 
c. 
April 6, 2014-  Twitter, Youtube, Facebook temporarily blocked before local elections over 
Istanbul prosecutor siege images. 
 
d. 
May 28, 2013- Twenty-nine people were put on trial for tweets posted during the Gezi protests in 
a court case in which the then-Prime Minister Erdoğan is himself listed as a victim. All of the tweeters 
were accused of “inciting the public to break the law.” Three of them were also accused of “insulting the 
Prime Minister.” 
 
e. 
May 11, 2013. After the twin car bombs shook the district of Reyhanli in Turkey's southeastern 
province of Hatay  a local court issued a ban  on all news outlets from covering the incident, alleging that 
coverage "violates the secrecy of the investigation," 
 
f. 
In March 2014, a leaked recording from a meeting at Turkey’s foreign ministry detailed the 
government’s considerations for military involvement in Syria. Shortly after that recording was posted on 
YouTube, access to the platform was blocked entirely in Turkey. 
 
Censorship by Satellite Carriers  
 
 
TV streaming services Digiturk,  Turkcell TV, Tivibu and TTNet stopped broadcasting Bugün TV, 
Kanaltürk, Shaber, Samanyolu, Mehtap TV, Irmak TV and children's channel Yumurcak TV by order of the 
Ankara Public Prosecutor's Office on the suspicion that the channels support a terrorist organization. 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
            
   
   
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
International Watchdog Reports on Turkey     
 
Human Rights Watch:  

 
“Significant obstacles remain to securing justice for victims of serious human rights abuses by police, 
military, and state officials, creating what amounts to a culture of impunity.” 
 
“Over the past year, Erdoğan’s AKP has responded to political opposition by tearing up the rule book, 
silencing critical voices, and wielding a stick” 
 
“In terms of its make-up, the National Human Rights Council of Turkey lacks independence from the 
executive, is tied to the Office of the Prime Minister, and seven out of eleven members of its board are 
appointed by the cabinet.”  
 
“A law passed in February increased the power and discretion of the TIB to demand that internet service 
providers (ISPs) remove content or block websites with just four hours’ notice. The TIB must refer the 
matter within 24 hours to a judge, who must rule on the matter within 48 hours. ISP administrators may 
face a penalty of six months’ to two years’ imprisonment for failing to comply with a judicial order. “ 
 
U.S. State Department, Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014 
 
According to internet freedom NGO Engelliweb, as of October a total of 58,635 websites were blocked--
54,091 by the TIB.  According to the Transportation, Maritime, and Communication Ministry, as of 
September the government took a total of 18,491 decisions to block websites. 
 
World press freedom index in 2014:  
 
Turkey is ranked 154th out of 180 countries.  
 
Reporters Without Borders
 
Turkey is ranked 149th out of 180 for hostile environment for journalists.  
 
Freedom House, Freedom of the Press 2015 
 
Turkey’s score in freedom of expression declined from 62 to 65 due to a number of legislative changes 
and continuing state efforts to influence reporting through intimidation and economic incentives. New 
laws restricted the freedom of journalists to report on national security and empowered the intelligence 
service to access a wide range of information without oversight, while amendments to the internet law 
increased authorities’ power to block online content.  In November 2013, PEN International reported that 
73 writers and intellectuals were being held in Turkish jails, up from 60 in 2012.  
 
 
The Committee to Protect Journalists reported that 40 journalists were incarcerated in Turkey as of 
December 2013, more than in any other country. Most of those behind bars were Kurdish and charged 
under antiterrorism laws in KCK-related cases.