Turkish Journalists Targeted by Prosecutions, Fines, Jail Terms: Report

Photo iIllustration: Unsplash/Matt Chesin

The BIA Media Monitor 2021 Report said that 35 journalists in Turkey were sentenced to a total of 92 years in prison in 2021.

Charges included "insulting the President", "membership of an [illegal or terrorist] organisation", "obtaining and disclosing confidential documents" or "espionage" under the Turkish Penal Code, or "propagandising for a terrorist organisation" under the country's Anti-Terror Law.

Eight journalists in 2021, and 70 journalists in past five years, have been convicted of insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The report noted that Turkey has been the "world's worst jailer of journalists" for years, and the government relied even more strongly on "judicial control" of the media in 2021.

State institutions for monitoring and regulating the media continued yo target independent journalists and media houses "in a mediascape where 90 per cent of national media outlets are controlled by the government", the report said.

It noted that newspapers including Evrensel, Sözcü, Cumhuriyet, Korkusuz, BirGun, Karar, Milli Gazete, Yenicag and Yeni Asya were barred from carrying advertisements for public institutions in 2021, depriving them of revenue.

It also said that the Radio and Television Supreme Council, RTUK imposed fines on media outlets that aired critical or inquiring broadcasts such as Fox TV, Halk TV, Tele1 and KRT. In total, broadcasters were fined 31,630,000 Turkish lira - more than two million euros - in 2021.

According to the report, 56 journalists were physically attacked and 41 journalists were detained by police, mostly during their coverage of public events...