Press Freedom in Turkey Myths and Truths

International and domestic actors questioning freedom of the press in Turkey do not adopt a comprehensive approach, instead confining the issue to the more attractive and popular sphere of daily political debates. The biggest obstacles before freedom of the press in Turkey, however, do not stem from the political will but from nonpolitical power circles. The issue is exacerbated by the fact that violations of press freedom, caused by power instruments outside of politics, are cynical and difficult to resist in nature.

This book aims to discuss the freedom of the press in Turkey within a new context and propose an alternative to the instrumental yet widespread attitude adopted solely for political goals. At the same time, the authors intend to reveal the structural problems that freedom of the press experiences in Turkey, shed light on specific areas of restrictions on the press today, and expose the power centers behind these restrictions.

The crux of this study is to identify and draw attention to the problems journalists, who are devoted to the enlightenment of society, experience, and to offer guidance for protecting the freedom of the press in the future. The study is based on in-depth interviews with prominent journalists and international reports on the subject.