Turkey must release journalist Ahmet Polad following his transfer from Syria after months of captivity
New York, September 18, 2026–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Turkish authorities to immediately release Ahmet Polad, a Kurdish-Turkish journalist who was transferred to Turkey this month after nearly eight months of enforced disappearance in Syria and is reported to be in extremely poor health. Polad’s lawyer, Özlem Gümüştaş, told CPJ on Friday that…
Turkey must drop charges against 3 ETHA journalists, including jailed editor Nadiye Gürbüz
Istanbul, September 17, 2026—Journalist Nadiye Gürbüz, who went on trial in Istanbul this week after spending more than seven months behind bars, must be freed immediately and Turkish authorities must stop abusing anti-terrorism laws to prevent journalists from doing their jobs, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Thursday. Gürbüz, an editor at the socialist…
Journalist Tuğba Tekerek arrested in Turkey for ‘obscenity’ during LGBTQ+ crackdown
Istanbul, September 16, 2026—Turkish authorities must immediately release freelance journalist Tuğba Tekerek and stop jailing, detaining and intimidating reporters for simply doing their jobs, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Police in Istanbul took Tekerek into custody late on September 13 during a sweeping crackdown against the LGBTQ+ community, which saw dozens of activists…
Turkey arrests journalist Selahattin Günday over 2011 report
Istanbul, September 15, 2026—Turkish authorities must release arrested journalist Selahattin Günday without delay and stop abusing the country’s laws to harass journalists and prevent them from doing their jobs, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Günday, a former broadcast reporter for the now closed Doğan News Agency (DHA), was taken into custody by Istanbul…
Journalist Oya Lale Arslan arrested in Turkey on suspicion of ‘spreading disinformation’
Istanbul, September 8, 2026—Turkish authorities must immediately release arrested journalist Oya Lale Arslan and stop weaponizing the law against independent media, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Tuesday. Arslan, a freelance journalist with over 118,000 followers on X and 151,000 on YouTube where she posts under the name Lale Özan Arslan, was detained on…
Journalist İrem Delice arrested in Turkey on suspicion of ‘spreading disinformation’
Istanbul, September 2, 2026—Turkish authorities should immediately release journalist İrem Delice, who was arrested on August 28 on suspicion of “spreading disinformation,” and repeal the disinformation law, which is being used all too often to criminalise journalism and silence reporting in Turkey, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Delice and three other staff members from…
CPJ, partners condemn multiple journalist arrests in Turkey, demand their release
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined 26 other press freedom and human rights organizations Wednesday in condemning the detentions and arrests of at least 11 journalists in the past two weeks leading up to the NATO summit in Ankara on July 7-8. “The targeting of critical journalists also cannot be viewed in isolation,” the statement…
Multiple journalists detained or arrested in Turkey ahead of NATO summit
Istanbul, July 8, 2026—Turkey should put an end to arbitrary detentions and arrests of journalists following the recent detaining of at least 11 members of the press ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Three of the journalists who were taken into police custody in Turkey between June…
The high price journalists paid for LGBTQ+ reporting, and how to protect yourself now
As LGBTQ+ communities celebrate Pride this June, many journalists continue to face an ugly reality: simply reporting on this community can open them up to prosecution, physical attacks, threats, arrest, exile, and even death. Avijit Roy, a Bangladeshi-born American who blogged about LGBTQ+ rights and free expression, was stabbed to death alongside his wife after…
CPJ, partners express urgent concern to NATO over press accreditation denial for Turkey summit in July
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined the International Press Institute and other press freedom and human rights organizations in expressing concern over the denial of accreditation to Turkish journalists hoping to cover NATO’s summit in Ankara, Turkey on July 7-8. Dozens of Turkish journalists, including staff from independent media outlets Halk TV, Sözcü TV, Nefes,…