Journalists Protest Censorship Across 10 Turkish Cities

Thousands protested in Turkey on October 24, 2026, against journalist arrests, media shutdowns and government-appointed administrators at outlets. Police counted at least 3,000 on Istanbul's Asian side and 3,000 in Ankara. The Turkish Journalists' Union said 11 journalists were arrested in the past two months. Police had raided Halk TV earlier that month, halted broadcasts and installed a government administrator; authorities closed T24 citing LGBT propaganda. ANF reported protests in 10 cities organized by DFG, TGS, DİSK Basın-İş and the Journalists Association, while other outlets detailed Istanbul and Ankara. Zafer Arapkirli said the events defended society's right to information and that arrests, outlet seizures, coverage bans and social media blocks sought to intimidate society. Gokhan Durmus said moves hit widely followed channels and pointed to one uniform news voice. Gokcer Tahincioglu said journalists want to practise freely; a letter from jailed Ismail Ari was read in Ankara amid chants of 'No to censorship' and placards stating journalism is not a crime. ANF said trustees had taken Flash Haber TV, Ekotürk TV, Habertürk Group, TELE1 and Halk TV over two years, with access blocked to multiple news sites and accounts.