Writers at Risk Database

Bülent Şık

A writer, food engineer, and environmental activist, Şık was indicted in 2018 after he wrote articles discussing the results of a government study of pollution. In 2019, he was… More

Emre Soncan

Foreign military affairs correspondent and author Soncan was arrested in a purge of suspected followers of exiled preacher Fethullah Gülen, who was blamed for the July 2016 attempted coup.… More

Mümtaz’er Türköne

Police detained Türköne, a columnist for the daily Zaman, as part of a purge of suspected Gülenists after the failed July 2016 coup. Türköne was sentenced in 2018 to… More

Writers at Risk Database

Erol Önderoğlu

Önderoğlu, a journalist, activist, and correspondent for Reporters Without Borders, was arrested after standing in solidarity with and serving as a 'guest editor' for Özgür Gündem, a pro-Kurdish newspaper… More

İnan Altın Grup Yorum

Altın is a member of activist collective and band Grup Yorum. Since the band’s inception, its critical songs have angered the Turkish government and members have faced serious threats.… More

Writers at Risk Database

Necmiye Alpay

Alpay was detained following the 2016 coup attempt for her connection to pro-Kurdish daily Özgür Gündem. After four months in detention, she was conditionally released in December 2016. She… More

Ahmet Altan

Altan was detained after the 2016 coup attempt on spurious charges. After his life sentence was reduced to 10.5 years, he was released in 2019, but was promptly rearrested.… More

Writers at Risk Database

Mehmet Altan

In September 2016, authorities detained Altan and his brother Ahmet for allegedly giving subliminal messages "suggestive" of the July coup attempt during a television panel the night prior. Though… More

Writers at Risk Database

Ayşe Berktay

Alongside her literary career, Berktay is a staunch advocate for women’s and Kurdish rights. Initially sentenced in 2011 on terrorism charges after attending conferences on behalf of a pro-Kurdish… More

Writers at Risk Database

Çayan Demirel

Award-winning filmmaker Demirel was sentenced in 2019 to nearly 5 years in prison for “propagandizing for a terrorist organization” after screening Bakur, a film he co-directed with Ertuğrul Mavioğlu,… More