Turkey: We are not Safe

In-Focus
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Women Journalists Strive For Democratic Principles In The Face Of State Persecution

 

Index

 

CFWIJ has noted with concern the dangerous digital-physical terrain that women journalists in Turkey have had to navigate in order to continue doing their jobs.

In 2022, as of November 1, we recorded 150 cases of violations against women journalists. The state has routinely weaponized its institutions to target them. From January 1 to November 1, 2022, at least 50 women have faced legal persecution while 47 have been assaulted in the field by either the police force or supporters of the state. Women journalists have also been targeted through organized troll campaigns online as well as through state media for criticizing government policies. Despite these intimidation tactics to silence them, however, women journalists continue to fulfill their civic role of holding power accountable.

 

CFWIJ Press Freedom Attack Tracker

 
 
 

Reports

Featured
Press Freedom Status For Women Journalists: November 2021
Press Freedom Status For Women Journalists: November 2021

Throughout the month of November 2021, CFWIJ documented 56 cases of violations against women journalists.

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Press Freedom Status for Women Journalists: October 2021
Press Freedom Status for Women Journalists: October 2021

Throughout the month of October 2021, CFWIJ documented 40 cases of violations against women journalists.

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Press Freedom Status For Women Journalists: September 2021
Press Freedom Status For Women Journalists: September 2021

Throughout the month of September 2021, The Coalition For Women In Journalism documented 61 cases of violations against women journalists.

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Press Freedom Status For Women Journalists: August 2021
Press Freedom Status For Women Journalists: August 2021

Throughout the month of August 2021, The Coalition For Women In Journalism documented 27 cases of violations against women journalists.

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Press Freedom Status For Journalists: July 2021
Press Freedom Status For Journalists: July 2021

Throughout the month of July 2021, The Coalition For Women In Journalism documented an alarming 61 cases of violations against women journalists.

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2021 CFWIJ First Half - Yearly Report
2021 CFWIJ First Half - Yearly Report

In the first half of 2021, women journalists faced the most danger not from criminal elements, but from the states they operate in.

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Press Freedom Newsroom

Featured
Turkiye: Arzu Yıldız and Her Struggle for Journalistic Freedom
Turkiye: Arzu Yıldız and Her Struggle for Journalistic Freedom

Women Press Freedom stands resolutely in solidarity with Arzu Yıldız, an investigative journalist from Turkiye forced into exile after facing persistent threats and persecution for her work. Yıldız's experience is emblematic of the broader crackdown on press freedom under President Tayyip Erdoğan's regime, where dissent is aggressively stifled. We unequivocally condemn the targeting and persecution of journalists by President Tayyip Erdoğan's government.

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Turkiye: Women Press Freedom Welcomes Release of JIN News’ Derya Ren
Turkiye: Women Press Freedom Welcomes Release of JIN News’ Derya Ren

WPF welcomes the long-overdue release of journalist Derya Ren, who was wrongfully imprisoned on baseless terrorism charges.

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Turkiye: Gönül Yılman Saygan Detained at Airport
Turkiye: Gönül Yılman Saygan Detained at Airport

WPF condemns the detention of journalist and media personality Gönül Yılman Saygan at İzmir Airport.

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Iraq/Kurdistan: Drone Strike Wounds Çira TV Reporter Mydia Hussen, Kills Murad Mirza
Iraq/Kurdistan: Drone Strike Wounds Çira TV Reporter Mydia Hussen, Kills Murad Mirza

WPF condemns this attack and calls for an immediate and thorough investigation by Iraqi and Turkish authorities to find out why the Çira TV vehicle was targeted.

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Turkiye: Women Press Freedom Vehemently Condemns the 6-Year Prison Sentence Handed Down to 8 Kurdish Journalists
Turkiye: Women Press Freedom Vehemently Condemns the 6-Year Prison Sentence Handed Down to 8 Kurdish Journalists

WPF is appalled by the decision of the Ankara court to convict eight journalists, including four women journalists, from the Kurdish news outlet Mezopotamya Agency.

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Turkiye: Esra Solin Dal and Colleagues Indicted on Bogus Terrorism Charges
Turkiye: Esra Solin Dal and Colleagues Indicted on Bogus Terrorism Charges

WPF firmly condemns the baseless charges against Esra Solin Dal and her two journalist colleagues, who are being accused of "membership in a terrorist organization" due to their alleged ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

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Petitions & Timelines

Featured
Yasemin Çongar
Yasemin Çongar

This timeline takes a look at the legal harassment against Yasemin Çongar.

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Women Journalists in Turkey
Women Journalists in Turkey

The Turkish state has routinely weaponized its judiciary as well as its law enforcement agencies to target the journalist community in the country.

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Videos

 
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