🔶 Thousands protest in Turkey against media crackdown and arrest of journalists

Thousands of journalists, human rights activists, and representatives of opposition parties to the Turkish government held demonstrations in the cities of Istanbul and Ankara against what they describe as the increasing pressure by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government on independent media.

According to Agence France-Presse, the rallies were held in response to a fresh wave of journalist arrests, media shutdowns, and the appointment of state-appointed managers to run news networks.

According to a statement by the Turkish police, at least three thousand people gathered in Istanbul’s Asian side and, while holding images of imprisoned journalists, chanted against restrictions on freedom of the press. Protesters shouted: “We can’t breathe anymore.”

They also called for an end to security crackdowns against journalists with slogans such as “You won’t silence us,” “That’s enough,” and “We won’t submit in the face of pressure.”

Participants in these rallies were mainly journalists, members of human rights organizations, and representatives of opposition parties to the government.