Skip to main content

Under crackdown, Turkish media close ranks

Under government attack, Gulenist journalists are seeking support from colleagues whose imprisonment they once supported, warning that they could be next.
Supporters of the Gulen movement wave Turkish flags as they gather outside the Justice Palace in Istanbul December 19, 2014. A Turkish court kept a media executive and three other people in custody on Friday pending trial on accusations of belonging to a terrorist group, in a case which President Tayyip Erdogan has defended as a response to "dirty operations" by his enemies. Hidayet Karaca heads Samanyolu Television which is close to the president's ally-turned foe Fethullah Gulen, a U.S.-based Muslim cleri

The latest judicial onslaught against journalists in Turkey has shone a spotlight on the deep rifts plaguing the country’s media and blighted efforts for a united defense of press freedom in the face of mounting threats.

Over the past several years, Turkey has earned itself the title of the world’s "worst jailer of journalists." During that time, journalists often became cheerleaders for the arrests that landed their colleagues behind bars. Those who found themselves in prison were typically pro-secular writers accused of colluding with the army in plots to overthrow the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government and discredit its then-ally, the influential community of the Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. Kurdish media workers accused of collaborating with Kurdish rebels were also targeted.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.