Memduh Bayraktaroglu
Bayraktaroglu is a columnist for Korkusuz newspaper. On February 24, 2023, a group of alleged ultranationalists attempted to raid his home following a tweet he posted two days earlier. The International Press… More
PEN America Calls for Release of Turkish Journalist Arrested Under Anti-Terrorism Laws for Airing an Opinion Critical of the Government
“PEN America stands in solidarity with Merdan Yanardağ and calls on Turkish authorities to release him immediately and unconditionally. Journalists and writers should be free to work and express… More
PEN America Condemns Censorship and Intimidation at LGBTQ Pride Events in Türkiye
“The decision by the Kadıköy District Governorship to ban events such as a Pride Month film screening and arrest attendees, and to ban a separate ‘tea and talk’ event,… More
PEN America Raises Concerns Over Free Expression and Free Press Protections Ahead of Runoff Elections in Türkiye
(NEW YORK) – With the first round of voting in Turkish elections concluded and ahead of an expected runoff May 28, PEN America calls on Turkish authorities to release… More
Abdulselam Kilgi Selamo
A scriptwriter and poet, Kilgi was arrested and detained at Izmir Airport on his way back to Türkiye from Germany. Sources say that the arrest was related to a… More
Ahmet Turan Alkan
A columnist for Zaman newspaper and literary writer, Alkan has been facing harassment for his written work since 2016. He was sentenced to 2 years and six months in… More
Arzu Demir
A literary writer and journalist, Demir was sentenced to 6 years in prison for writing two books titled “Dağın Kadın Hali (Womanly State of the Mountain)” and “Devrimin Rojava… More
Mehmet Sahin
Sahin, a Kurdish columnist, has faced ongoing persecution since 2016 in job dismissal and lawsuits. In June 2022, Sahin was arrested along with 15 other Kurdish journalists in Diyarbakir… More
Azad Zal Mehmet Güngõmüs
A writer, former journalist, translator, and Kurdish-language teacher, Zal was released from prison in 2004 after spending 12 years in prison. He was arrested again on June 30, 2020… More
Kaan Göktas
Goktas is journalist and online commentator who writes on cybersecurity. He was sentenced to two years in prison in 2021 for sharing a poem by Ottoman poet Sunbulzade Vehi… More