CHP MP and journalist Utku Çakırözer made a statement on the occasion of July 24, the Day of Struggle for Freedom of the Press, and shared the press report card of the AKP government in the last 5 years. Çakırözer stated that between 2020-2025, journalists appeared before judges 3,252 times, 405 journalists were detained and 140 were arrested. Turkey dropped to 159th place in the World Press Freedom Index. 329 sanctions were imposed on channels such as Tele1, Halk TV, KRT and Now TV. Çakırözer said journalists were prevented from reporting on social events and access to news was restricted despite court orders. “Democracy is only possible with freedom of the press,” Çakırözer said, making an analogy to the “period of the regime of tyranny”.
July 23, 2025
cumhuriyet