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Türkiye

Türkiye

Since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was re-elected in May 2023, the Turkish government has continued its longtime practice of clamping down on writers, journalists, and creative artists. Prolonged, indefinite trials and spurious charges, keeping them tied up in appeals and re-trials for years are part of their playbook. Turkish authorities commonly deploy charges of “insult” against the President, dissemination of disinformation, and anti-terror legislation against writers, journalists, and critical voices. 

The Grand National Assembly of Turkey building in Ankara, decorated with Turkish flags and a large portrait of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with manicured greenery and stone carvings in the foreground.

What You Need to Know

Türkiye is among the top jailers of writers in the world. Columnists, cartoonists, novelists, and songwriters are among the 22 writers jailed for their expression during 2025 according to the Freedom to Write Index.

Turkish authorities continue to criminalize cultural and linguistic expression, often arresting Kurdish writers, journalists, and musicians under broad anti-terror laws.

Internet freedom is in decline. The government blocks and censors social media, arrests writers for posts, and is expanding its control over user data with new cybersecurity legislation.

News

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Individual Cases

  • A middle-aged man with gray hair and a beard wearing a light blue shirt sits indoors in front of a wooden panel wall, looking thoughtfully ahead.

    Ahmet Altan

    Status:

    Novelist and journalist Altan was detained after the 2016 coup attempt on spurious charges. After his life sentence was reduced… More

  • A woman with curly dark hair is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a brown sweater and a green beaded necklace, standing against a plain light-colored background.

    Pınar Selek

    Status:

    A feminist writer, Selek has been prosecuted for over 20 years on false claims related to her involvement in a… More

  • A woman with long, wavy red hair and fair skin is wearing a black-and-white patterned scarf and a light-colored top, posing in front of a plain gray background.

    Aslı Erdoğan

    Status:

    Novelist and occasional columnist for pro-Kurdish Özgür Gündem, Aslı Erdoğan was detained after the 2016 coup attempt. Conditionally released four… More

  • A man with short curly hair and a beard, wearing a light-colored shirt, smiles and gestures with his hands indoors near a staircase with rope railing.

    Mehmet Osman Kavala

    Status:

    A noted philanthropist and publisher focusing on promoting intercultural understanding, Kavala was setting up a cultural center for Syrian refugees… More

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Demonstrators protest outside a court, where the trial of about a dozen employees of the Cumhuriyet daily newspaper on charges of aiding terror groups, took place in Istanbul, on October 31, 2017.
Photo by AP/Lefteris Pitarakis
Read the full report

Cracking Down on Creative Voices: Turkey’s Silencing of Writers, Intellectuals, and Artists Five Years After the Failed Coup

In a report published five years after the coup attempt in 2016, PEN America outlines the legal mechanisms that the Turkish government uses to silence writers, activists, and cultural figures, including imprisonment, shutting down media outlets, and seizing executive power. The paper highlights the impact of the crackdown and urges the international community to demonstrate support and solidarity for Türkiye’s creative community and push back against the Turkish government’s ongoing repression of freedom of expression.

Experts