Turkey‘s ongoing erosion of press freedom continues to raise alarms globally. Ranked 159 out of 180 in the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index, the nation has long been criticized for jailing journalists. As of March’s end, 18 journalists remained behind bars, according to the Turkish Journalists’ Union. But beyond prison walls lies a quieter, subtler form of repression: judicial restrictions.
Originally designed as alternatives to pre-trial detention, these measures—house arrest, travel bans, and mandatory check-ins—are increasingly used to stifle dissent. Though not formally imprisoned, many journalists are trapped in a legal limbo, barred from working, moving freely, or even expressing themselves online. These tools of control are now being imposed without satisfying legal criteria, turning what should be procedural safeguards into instruments of punishment.
Renowned media lawyer Veysel Ok, who defended Die Welt reporter Deniz Yücel, decries the misuse of such controls. “These are no longer just protective actions,” he says. “They are penalty-like sanctions targeting voices of criticism.” Even acquitted individuals often spend years under de facto house arrest, losing their most productive years to bureaucratic suppression.
The rise in these controls stems from political motives, says Ok: “They are meant to punish early and create fear.” The overcrowded prison system—housing over 400,000 inmates—has pushed the state to externalize punishment, turning cities and homes into open-air detention zones.
RSF’s Turkey head, Erol Onderoglu, echoes this concern, calling judicial oversight a “preemptive punishment” that is routinely misapplied for offenses like libel or critical social media posts. The intent, he says, is chillingly clear: silence dissent and discourage free expression.
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