Turkey’s crackdown on press freedom continues, with four more journalists punished for their reporting and commentary.
In a country that is increasingly becoming a prison for journalists, commentator Şaban Sevinç and Sözcü reporter Mustafa Balcı have been jailed for their reporting and commentary on financial corruption. Journalists İsmail Saymaz and Murat Ağırel have also been placed under house arrest.
On 16 September, allegations emerged that ministers and officials within Erdoğan’s ruling AKP, including members of his family, had pocketed 900 billion Turkish liras (£14 billion) through stock market corruption. Some are alleged to have moved the money abroad.
Yet it is the journalists reporting on these allegations who are being thrown into prison. The alleged corruption involving Erdoğan and his party is on an extraordinary scale, while those seeking to expose it face punishment and repression.
The assault on press freedom is widening. Over the past two weeks, access has been blocked to the social media accounts of several media organisations, including the X account of the daily newspaper Evrensel. The online newspaper T24 has also been shut down.
Around 50 journalists and newspaper workers remain behind bars in Turkey.
We stand in solidarity with journalists in Turkey who refuse to be silenced. The right to report, investigate corruption and hold those in power to account must be defended. Attacks on journalists are attacks on press freedom and on the public’s right to know.