Without freedom of speech journalists are facing a crisis in Turkey.
Press freedom in Turkey took a major hit in 2016, when a coup d'etat was attempted against the government. According to Deutsche Welle, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a state of emergency and detained tens of thousands of military personnel, public servants, academics, writers, and journalists. 130,000 public officials were dismissed for allegedly being linked to terrorist groups.
According to Freedom House, there is no freedom of speech in Turkey. It currently ranks 157 out of 181 countries in Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. Turkey arrests anyone who criticizes the government. It is currently the world leader in imprisoned journalists with 159 behind bars, some receiving life sentences.
New regulations on press cards passed in December 2018 has made journalism difficult in Turkey. Turkish news source Ahval reports authorities are now allowed to cancel press cards over security concerns and can also place restrictions on obtaining press cards. The new regulations state a journalist cannot "engage in behavior against national security and public order." The Directorate of Communications is a government agency under the Turkish presidency that is in charge of issuing press cards. The agency is allowed to cancel press cards if they believe a journalist has engaged in such behavior.
"There is a crisis of freedom of expression in Turkey that has been long in the making with many prosecuted journalists over the years," said Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey Director for Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Since 2016, 193 media institutions have closed. Many influential newspapers and television stations have become owned by allies of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), which is the ruling party that Erdogan is member of. In 2018, Turkey's largest media group, Dogan Media Company, was sold to the pro-government conglomerate Demirören Holding. Reporters Without Borders called this move "the death of media pluralism in Turkey."
"Journalists feel depressed, stressed, and we all write with fear," said Turkish freelance journalist Tunca Ogreten. He has been arrested in the past for his articles.
Many journalists have left the country for safer locations to report from abroad, while others have stayed and had to adjust to the new harsh journalism conditions. The government has not only gone after journalists, but ordinary people too. According to HRW World Report, thousands of people in Turkey face criminal investigations and prosecutions for their social media posts.
Al Jazeera reported the coup in 2016 was the bloodiest in Turkey's history. A section of the Turkish military attacked several major cities in an attempt to overthrow the government. Soldiers and tanks stormed the streets and Turkish fighter jets dropped bombs on parliament. Loyalist soldiers and police were able to defeat the coup after several hours. The coup left 241 people dead and 2,194 wounded. The Turkish government blames the coup attempt on Fethullah Gulen, the leader of the widespread Hizmet (Service) religious movement. Hizmet owns foundations, associations, media organizations, and schools in Turkey and other countries.