Freedom of association
Reports show space for civil society continues shrinking in Turkey
A new report from TÜSEV presents findings from a comprehensive Monitoring Matrix assessing Turkey’s civil society enabling environment during 2022–23. While recognising structural reforms—including enhanced engagement by civil society organisations (CSOs) in social service delivery—the report highlights ongoing systemic challenges: restrictive legal frameworks continue to limit civic activism, barriers persist in accessing funding, and transparency in government–CSO collaboration remains inconsistent. The analysis points to a shrinking space for dissenting voices, particularly those critical of government policy. TÜSEV calls for targeted reforms such as easing registration requirements, safeguarding independent funding channels, and institutionalising genuine dialogue mechanisms.
A TÜSEV case study also found that civil society organisations (CSOs) were only formally included in consultations on the Ministry of Family and Social Services’ 2022–23 Civil Society Vision Document and Action Plan. The diversity of CSOs was limited, with many participants aligned with government priorities, and independent or critical voices often absent. The consultation process lacked transparency, with no disclosed criteria or public list of invitees. CSOs had minimal influence over key policy directions, and the monitoring and evaluation of the Action Plan remained internal to the Ministry.
Criminal investigation into the Istanbul Bar Association
Turkish authorities have launched a criminal investigation and filed a lawsuit against the Istanbul Bar Association, its president İbrahim Kaboğlu, and its executive board, in connection with a statement issued by the organisation in December 2024 condemning the killing of two journalists in northern Syria. Prosecutors allege the statement amounted to “terrorist propaganda” and “publicly disseminating misleading information”, and have sought the dismissal of the Bar’s leadership for allegedly exceeding its professional mandate. On 23rd January 2025, executive board member Fırat Epözdemir was arrested upon returning from an advocacy visit to the Council of Europe.
Several legal and human rights organisations, including the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, have condemned the arrests and legal proceedings, urging Türkiye to release Epözdemir, drop the charges, and respect its international obligations on the independence of the legal profession and freedom of expression. They have called on the EU, UN, and the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights to intervene.
Mass raids amid investigation of pro-Kurdish and leftist organisations
During mass police raids on 18th February, 52 people, including journalists as well as political and civil society activists, were detained across ten provinces in Turkey as part of an investigation into the People’s Democratic Congress (HDK), an umbrella organisation of pro-Kurdish and leftist groups. These detentions, justified as part of an investigation into terrorism-related activities, occurred without public indictments or immediate access to legal counsel. Critics assert the raids represent a coordinated attempt to suppress dissenting political and social movements. The next day, three journalists remained in detention (see more under Freedom of Expression).
Detentions of opposition local officials
On 10th January 2025, Turkish police detained several pro-Kurdish officials from the Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party in the Akdeniz district of Mersin Province. They were arrested on terrorism-related charges such as “making propaganda for a terrorist organisation”, “membership in an armed terrorist organisation”, violations of the law on financing terrorism, and illegal assembly. Following their detention, the Interior Ministry removed the co-mayors and appointed a trustee to govern the municipality. The DEM Party condemned these actions as politically motivated attacks against Kurdish political representation.
In early 2025, Turkish authorities arrested opposition mayors Rıza Akpolat of Beşiktaş and Alaattin Köseler of Beykoz, both from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), on charges including corruption, bid rigging, and membership in a criminal organisation. These arrests, part of a broader crackdown by President Erdoğan’s government, have been widely condemned by opposition leaders as politically motivated attempts to silence dissent and weaken municipalities led by the CHP and pro-Kurdish parties. The detentions, which included raids and blockades of municipal buildings, have intensified concerns over the erosion of democratic norms and the rule of law in Turkey.
Freedom of peaceful assembly
Acquittals, new investigations and arrests in connection with 2013 Gezi Park protests
Three defendants in the Gezi Park case—Mücella Yapıcı, Ali Hakan Altınay, and Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi—were acquitted in a retrial by the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court on 11th February 2025. The court found insufficient evidence to convict them on charges of violating laws on meetings and demonstrations or attempting to overthrow the government. Their previous 18-year prison sentences had been overturned by Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals in September 2023, leading to the retrial. Amnesty International and other observers hailed the acquittals as the end of a politically motivated prosecution that had suppressed peaceful assembly rights during the 2013 Gezi Park protests. Despite this outcome, several other defendants in the case remain imprisoned, highlighting the ongoing legal repercussions of the protests.
Furthermore, authorities have recently renewed their focus on the Gezi Park protests, with new investigations and prosecutions taking place more than a decade later. Also in February, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into media coverage of the 2013 protests, alleging that certain outlets broadcast content that promoted the demonstrations and contributed to social unrest. Prosecutors requested archival footage and recordings from the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) covering broadcasts from 27th May 2013 onward, claiming they legitimised or escalated the protests. However, RTÜK archives only retain records for one year, gradually deleting older material, making retrieval of such footage legally and practically impossible. Following identification of implicated media, executives and reporters could be summoned as suspects, linking this probe to the broader prosecutions related to Gezi.
Ayşe Barım, a prominent Turkish talent manager, was arrested in January 2025 over allegations connected to the 2013 protests. Prosecutors accused her of organising and encouraging actors under her management to participate in the anti-government demonstrations, framing this as part of an attempted overthrow of the government. Evidence cited includes wiretapped conversations with key figures in the Gezi case and extensive communication with convicted or exiled defendants. Barım faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted, and her trial is scheduled to begin with a hearing on 7th July 2025.
Restaurant workers protest unpaid wages
Unpaid workers at İş Gıda staged protests in major cities including İstanbul, Bursa, Ankara, and İzmir in February 2025. In early 2025, thousands of workers went unpaid amid the debt restructuring and bankruptcy filing of the company that is operating KFC and Pizza Hut franchises in Turkey. The unpaid employees, totalling around 6,000 across 450 restaurants, demanded their overdue salaries and severance payments while criticising company management for prioritising profits over their rights.
Protests and bans follow Siirt Co-Mayor’s removal from office
The Siirt Governor’s Office imposed a 10-day ban on public gatherings and demonstrations following the protests sparked by the removal from office of Siirt Co-Mayor Sofya Alağaş on 29th January 2025. Alağaş was sentenced to over six years in prison for alleged membership in a terrorist organisation, tied to her previous work as a journalist with the pro-Kurdish Jin News (see more under Freedom of Expression). The Interior Ministry replaced her with a government-appointed trustee, backed by a heavy police presence, which sparked protests denouncing the move as an attack on democracy and the will of the people.
Freedom of expression
Press Freedom in Turkey: 2024 Overview
In 2024, journalists in Turkey faced severe repression, described as a “living hell” for the press in the annual BİA Media Monitoring Report. Authorities systematically harassed reporters through online censorship, arrests, detentions (57 journalists detained and 10 imprisoned) and arbitrary lawsuits designed to silence critical reporting.
The judiciary frequently pursued charges such as terrorist propaganda or insulting public officials, while online content bans blocked more than 3,000 news reports. Media outlets faced fines, broadcast suspensions, and advertising restrictions, intensifying financial and operational pressures. Prominent journalists were subjected to judicial control measures, including house arrest, amid threats from government allies.
A recent report by the South East Europe Network for the Professionalisation of Media (SEENPM) also highlighted alarming trends: legislative changes have tightened state control over news outlets, fostering self-censorship and undermining democratic accountability.
Conditions for the press deteriorating further in 2025
According to Bianet, between January and March 2025, press freedom violations escalated sharply. At least 25 journalists were jailed, while 157 faced trials in 90 separate cases. Nineteen cases ended in convictions, sentencing 28 journalists to a combined total of over 41 years in prison plus fines. Common charges included membership in a terrorist organisation, dissemination of terrorist propaganda, insulting public officials, and violating the 2022 disinformation law penalising “false information”. Authorities launched 25 new indictments and 10 investigations against journalists in this period. Physical attacks on reporters and damage to their equipment during protests were widespread, with many arrests occurring during coverage of demonstrations.
On 10th January, twelve Turkish press organisations marked Working Journalists’ Day by issuing a joint statement: “The press is free; it cannot be censored.” They denounced exploitative working conditions, precarious employment, arbitrary detentions, and government control of media. The statement called for legal safeguards for freelance and digital journalists, gender-specific employment protections, and improved labour rights to secure editorial independence.
As violations surged in January, 40 Turkish and international media, human rights, and journalists’ organisations issued another joint letter condemning arbitrary arrests, detentions, travel bans, house arrests, and criminal convictions. They criticised efforts to suppress investigative reporting, including blocking articles and initiating politically motivated probes, urging authorities to release detained journalists and protect independent media.
On 14th February, it was reported that negotiations between Turkey’s largest journalists’ union (TGS) and nine media outlets reached a deadlock without a collective bargaining agreement. The union criticised employers for offering wage increases below the official inflation rate, arguing that poor pay amid the economic crisis threatens both the dignity of journalists and the quality of journalism. TGS stated, “You can’t produce full news with an empty wallet,” emphasising that economic insecurity undermines editorial independence and journalistic standards. The union urged the public to support journalists’ rights, linking press freedom to fair wages and humane working conditions.
Targeted Arrests and Prosecutions
In January, it was reported that three journalists, Gerçek Gündem Editor-in-Chief Seyhan Avşar, T24 Editor-in-Chief Doğan Akın, and T24 Managing Editor Candan Yıldız, are facing up to eight years in prison for their coverage of the killing of Kurdish reporters Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin in a suspected Turkish drone strike in northern Syria in late 2024. They are charged with “spreading misleading information” and “making terrorist propaganda.” Prosecutors, who have described the deceased reporters as terrorists neutralised in a security operation, claim that reporting their deaths as killings by security forces is a criminal offence. The Turkish government has remained silent on these deaths, while Kurdish and press freedom groups have called for accountability and protection of journalists.
In January 2025, three journalists from the opposition-aligned Halk TV, Barış Pehlivan, Seda Selek, and Serhan Asker, were detained following the broadcast of a phone conversation with a court-appointed expert witness involved in politically sensitive investigations against opposition municipalities, notably those led by Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu. The authorities accused the journalists of secretly recording a private conversation and attempting to influence judicial proceedings. Pehlivan and Selek were initially detained in Ankara, and Halk TV's editor-in-chief Suat Toktaş was arrested in Istanbul. The case is seen as part of a broader crackdown on opposition media and critical journalism in Turkey. Prosecutors are seeking prison sentences from 4 to 14 years for the journalists, citing charges of eavesdropping and judicial interference.
On 28th January, Sofya Alağaş, co-mayor of Siirt and former news editor of the pro-Kurdish Jin News agency, was sentenced to six years and three months in prison on charges of “membership in a terrorist organisation.” The indictment was based on her journalistic activities, including the editorial policy and news content of Jin News, which the prosecution argued promoted violence and sympathy for the PKK. Following her sentencing, the Turkish Interior Ministry removed Alağaş from office and appointed the Siirt governor as trustee. The decision sparked protests and condemnation from political allies and rights groups, who denounced it as an attack on Kurdish political representation and press freedom.
On 18th February, journalists Elif Akgül, Yıldız Tar—editor-in-chief of the LGBTQI+ news site Kaos GL—and Ender İmrek, columnist for the leftist daily Evrensel, were detained during coordinated police raids across ten provinces targeting the pro-Kurdish and left-wing umbrella group People’s Democratic Congress (HDK). According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Akgül, an independent journalist and former Bianet reporter, is accused of membership of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and was held without access to her lawyers for 24 hours under anti-terrorism legislation before being questioned about demonstrations she covered and her communications with other media professionals.
On 22nd February, an Istanbul court ordered the arrest of Akgül and Tar, placing them in pre-trial detention at Bakırköy Women’s Prison and Metris Prison respectively, while İmrek was placed under house arrest. Lawyers for all three are preparing appeals, warning that they could remain detained for months if rejected. Several press freedom and human rights organisations have condemned the arrests, calling on Turkish authorities to release the journalists and drop the charges.
Restrictions on speech
Ümit Özdağ, leader of Turkey's far-right Victory Party, was arrested in January 2025 for “public incitement to hatred and enmity”, primarily due to his anti-migrant rhetoric linked to fuelling violent anti-Syrian refugee protests in Kayseri province in July 2024. Prosecutors presented 11 incriminating social media posts accusing him of provoking hostility. Özdağ denied inciting violence, claiming his calls for refugees' repatriation and criticism of government policies were political speech. Özdağ was initially detained on charges of insulting the president, but was subsequently arrested on the incitement charges and sent to Silivri Prison. The arrest was condemned as politically motivated by opposition figures, including Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, who condemned it as judicial interference in politics.
A second-year journalism student at İstanbul's Marmara University was suspended for one month after protesting against the university’s academic partnership with Israel’s Haifa University. The demonstration occurred during a panel on Gaza and involved demands to cut ties with Haifa University. The administration accused the student of damaging the honour and dignity of university staff by displaying a banner, chanting slogans, and sharing protest content on social media. The student reported prior disciplinary investigations linked to Palestinian solidarity protests and gender-based violence demonstrations.
LGBTQI+ activist İris Mozalar was acquitted in February 2025 of charges accusing her of “publicly inciting hatred and hostility” related to her social media posts. The posts criticised racist attacks against Syrian refugees in Kayseri that occurred after unverified allegations against a Syrian man. The court found insufficient evidence of incitement, ruling her expressions as protected freedom of expression. Mozalar was arrested in July 2024 and released after one day in custody. Her defence argued her posts aimed to promote peace and oppose violence.
Artistic and Cultural Censorship
Kurdish film director Kazım Öz was briefly detained by Turkish authorities in İstanbul on January 22, 2025, as part of an investigation into his 2017 film, which prosecutors allege contains “terrorist propaganda.” He was handcuffed, taken to İstanbul’s Çağlayan Courthouse, interrogated, and then released on condition that he attend a hearing scheduled for 13th March 2025. Öz criticized the treatment, highlighting that those responsible for serious crimes should be detained instead of artists. His film Zer traces the origins of a Kurdish folk song and has faced prior censorship, including blacking out certain scenes by official order.
Actress Melisa Sözen was questioned by Istanbul authorities in early 2025 on charges of “promoting terrorist propaganda” related to her role in the 2017 French TV series Le Bureau des Légendes (The Bureau). In the series, she portrayed Esrin, a double agent infiltrating the Syrian Kurdish Women’s Protection Units (YPJ), which Turkey classifies as a terrorist group linked to the PKK. Sözen stated during questioning that she was unaware her costume resembled the YPJ uniform and emphasized that the show was not broadcast in Turkey. She denied the accusations, highlighting that the series does not glorify any terrorist group and expressed concern over online harassment sparked by this case. She was not detained after giving her statement.
In January 2025, the Ankara Governor’s Office banned the screening of Bellekvari, a documentary about KuirFest, Turkey's first and only LGBTQI+ film festival, which highlights its 14-year history and significance for activism. The ban was communicated to the Mülkiyeliler Birliği association, where the screening was planned. The governor’s office cited “violations of public morality” and claimed KuirFest events exhibit attitudes and behaviours contrary to societal sensitivities and public morality. This ban also extended to all associated activities, including cinema, theatre, panels, discussions, exhibitions, press releases, and demonstrations. No detailed explanations were given for other specific event dates or venues beyond this screening.
Censorship, Content Bans, and Digital Crackdowns
In January, Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), the state media regulator, imposed a broadcasting ban on reporting related to a deadly fire in a ski resort in the Bolu province, which killed at least 66 people and injured 51. RTÜK and a Bolu court cited incomplete evidence and concerns over misinformation to justify the ban, which prohibited independent reporting from the scene, interviews with victims’ families or witnesses, expert analysis, and broadcasting images of the fire or hotel interior. Media organisations and journalists criticised the ban as censorship, hampering transparency and public information during the disaster investigation. The ban was later lifted after widespread backlash but initially set strict controls to limit media coverage to official sources only.
In February 2025, a Turkish court blocked Kurdish journalist Abdurrahman Gok's social media accounts—including YouTube, X, and Instagram—citing “national security and public order” without further explanation. His blocked YouTube account, which contained no political content and focused on wildlife and nature, was made inaccessible within Turkey. This action is part of a broader pattern in Turkey, where thousands of social media accounts—over 27,000 from January to April 2025—have been blocked under similar security pretences, targeting journalists, activists, and opposition voices amid a comprehensive government crackdown on dissent and press freedom.