Fifteen Turkish journalists were detained and access was banned to 700 online news articles in the month of August, according to a Free Journalists Initiative (ÖGİ) report, the Artı Gerçek news website reported on Monday.
The report said that in parallel to an increase in public opposition to the government, pressure on journalism was on the rise in August, adding that 15 journalists were detained while following events such as protests.
Legal cases were launched against five journalists, and one who was on trial was handed down a sentence of two years, four months. One journalist’s house was raided by the police.
In addition the prosecutions by the authorities, two journalists were physically assaulted and one was attacked by a gunman.
Turkey in recent years has become the largest jailer of journalists in the world, imprisoning scores on terrorism charges in the aftermath of a 2016 coup attempt.
Turkey was ranked 157th among 180 countries in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index released in April by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).