Two Turkish journalists were found guilty on separate charges related to their reporting on politically sensitive issues, raising concerns about press freedom in the country.
In Mardin, Öznur Değer, news director for the pro-Kurdish outlet JİN News, was convicted of repeatedly publishing “propaganda” for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey classifies as a terrorist organization. Değer, who previously spent over 100 days in pre-trial detention earlier this year, was released pending appeal. She faces a prison sentence of three years, four months, and 15 days.
In Istanbul, Asuman Aranca, a reporter for the independent site T24, was convicted of “violating the secrecy” of a trial based on articles she published in December 2023. The court handed her a 10-month suspended sentence. Aranca has received multiple journalism awards for her reporting on a public trial regarding the murder of politician Sinan Ateş.
“The guilty verdicts for JİN News director Öznur Değer and T24 reporter Asuman Aranca are disappointing but unfortunately not unusual,” said Özgür Öğret, CPJ’s Turkey representative. “Covering an outlawed group or reporting on a political murder trial should never be criminalized. Authorities must not oppose their appeals and should cease prosecuting journalists for simply doing their jobs.”
At Free Press Alliance, we strongly condemn the criminalization of independent journalism in Turkey. The convictions of Değer and Aranca represent yet another attempt to silence critical voices and suppress press freedom under the guise of national security. We call on Turkish authorities to overturn these unjust sentences, uphold the right to report freely, and end the ongoing judicial harassment of journalists across the country.