A Turkish court has placed seven journalists in custody after they were arrested while covering protests in Istanbul, including a photojournalist for French news agency AFP. The journalists, who also covered demonstrations in Ankara, were detained amid anger over the jailing of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main political rival.
AFP strongly condemns the detention of its journalist and photographer Yasin Akgül, calling it a serious attack on media freedom. The organization is demanding his immediate release and urging Turkish authorities to respect press freedom.
Protests have been taking place across Turkey over the past week, with 1,418 protesters detained since last Wednesday. The government has deemed the demonstrations “illegal” and banned further protests in Istanbul governorate.
Critics say the arrest represents a turning point for Turkey’s increasingly authoritarian government. International monitoring groups have warned of dangers to democracy, while freedom of speech remains under threat.
Media outlets critical of the government face censorship, with around 90% of national media controlled by the ruling Justice and Development Party. Reporters Without Borders has labelled Turkey “not free” when it comes to internet and media freedom due to laws that increase censorship and surveillance.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/03/25/europe/turkey-protests-journalists-arrested-intl-latam/index.html