The key facts

  • At least 3,000 participants in Istanbul and the same number in Ankara, according to police
  • 11 journalists detained over two months, several media outlets closed (Turkish Journalists' Union)
  • Police earlier in October halted Halk TV's broadcast and imposed external administration; T24 was closed over 'LGBT propaganda' allegations

Mass rallies in two cities

On Saturday, protests against pressure on journalists in Turkey — arrests, media closures and the appointment of state administrators to newsrooms — took place in Istanbul and Ankara. The crowds consisted mainly of journalists, human rights organizations and representatives of opposition parties; participants chanted 'Enough. We can no longer breathe' and held photographs of detained colleagues. According to police, at least 3,000 people gathered in each of the two cities, AFP reports.

What has happened to the media in recent weeks

The rallies were prompted by events of recent weeks. Earlier this month, police raided Halk TV, the country's most-watched news channel: the broadcast was halted and a government-appointed administrator was installed in the newsroom. Before that, the website and social media of the leading digital outlet T24 were shut down — in the authorities' wording, over 'LGBT propaganda.' According to the Turkish Journalists' Union, 11 journalists have been taken into custody over the past two months and the work of several media outlets has been halted. Restrictions on the press intensified after the 2016 coup attempt, which was accompanied by mass persecution and digital censorship.

Statements from participants

Veteran journalist Zafer Arapkirli, a columnist for the BirGun newspaper and himself a defendant in lawsuits, told AFP that the rally defends not only journalists but also society's right to receive information through independent media. In his words, the regime seeks to 'intimidate, silence and frighten society' through arrests, media takeovers, bans on coverage and social media blockages, and the stronger the pressure, the more resolute the response must be. Gökçe Tahincioğlu, coordinator of the shuttered T24, stressed in Ankara that journalists want 'to do journalism and do it freely,' and thanked everyone for the solidarity shown. In Ankara, protesters demanded 'No to censorship' and 'Freedom for detained journalists.'