Journalists in Turkey appeared at court hearings 207 times in the first two months of 2024, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported on Wednesday, citing opposition deputy Utku Çakırözer.
A total of 18 journalists were detained during the same period, five of whom were subsequently arrested by the courts, according to the report.
The report also pointed out that the authorities continued to impose censorship on news content despite recent Constitutional Court rulings that found the access bans unlawful.
It criticized the state-run TRT broadcaster for its lack of impartiality in its coverage for the upcoming local elections.
Çakırözer also accused Turkish courts of protecting perpetrators in cases involving assaults on journalists.
Rights groups routinely accuse Turkey of undermining media freedom by arresting journalists and shutting down critical media outlets, especially since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan survived a failed coup in July 2016.
Turkey is ranked 165th in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2023 World Press Freedom Index, among 180 countries, not far from North Korea, which occupies the bottom of the list.
