Skip to content
LOUD
Wrapped upfree speech

Thousands protest in Istanbul against media crackdown and journalist arrests

Several cities · pinned on Istanbul, Turkey · Oct 24, 2026

Is it still on?

NOIt was a one-day action on Oct 24.

Last report · checked

The Tea in three lines

Why they are protesting
Protesters demonstrated against growing government pressure on independent media, including journalist arrests and news channel takeovers.
What they want
They demanded press freedom and the release of jailed journalists.
What changed
Oct 24: Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Istanbul and Ankara to protest media shutdowns and state administrators.
WhatsAppPost on X

Both sides

What protesters want

  • Release jailed journalists
  • Stop media shutdowns
  • End censorship
  • Protect press freedom

Organised by: Turkish Journalists' Union

What authorities say

No official response from the government reported in the sources, other than previous actions citing reasons such as curbing LGBT propaganda and clamping down on critical media.12

The numbers

Only figures a source states, with who said it. Estimates often differ.

Crowd
3,000+
at least 3,000 people gathered on the Asian side of Istanbul, according to police1

The full story

Thousands of people rallied in Istanbul and Ankara on October 24 to protest against mounting government pressure on independent journalism. The demonstrations were composed mainly of journalists, rights groups, and opposition party representatives. Participants carried photos of imprisoned reporters, shouted anti-censorship slogans, and condemned the recent jailing of 11 journalists, media shutdowns, and the installation of state administrators at news outlets such as Halk TV. According to police estimates, at least 3,000 individuals gathered on the Asian side of Istanbul. Protesters argued that the government's actions aim to intimidate society and restrict the public's right to access independent information.

Timeline

  1. Thousands of protesters gathered in Istanbul and Ankara to rally against media shutdowns and journalist arrests.12

Pins sit on city centres, never on gathering points

More like this