From prison acquittals to digital rights battles, the Media and Law Studies Association outlines a year of challenges and victories for free expression
The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA)has published its 2024 Annual Report, documenting a year marked by increased pressure on journalists, major legal victories, and escalating internet censorship in Turkey. The report takes a look at our work in the past year and also shows the challenges met by free speech defendres in Turkey the past year.
To download our full report please click here.
What we did in 2024? Legal Unit
In 2024 MLSA represented 204 clients across 154 legal cases, including 39 journalists charged with offenses like terrorism, spreading misinformation, and insulting public officials. Despite a repressive legal climate, the group secured 12 acquittals and had charges dropped in six other cases.
Two high-profile acquittals came for journalists Sedat Yılmaz and Dicle Müftüoğlu, who were detained for months before being cleared of terrorism charges. Other acquittals included rights defender Nurcan Baysal and several journalists targeted for their reporting, such as Yağmur Kaya, Sibel Yükler, and Bülent Kılıç.
Monitoring the erosion of justice
MLSA’s trial monitoring program, the most comprehensive in Turkey, observed 641 hearings in 304 free expression-related trials, covering 1,856 individuals—366 of them journalists. The data gathered informed international advocacy and spotlighted judicial harassment and misuse of anti-terror legislation.
Taking the fight to the Constitutional Court and ECtHR
MLSA won several landmark rulings from Turkey’s Constitutional Court, including decisions affirming journalists’ rights to free expression and access to information. In one case, the Court ruled the access ban on journalist Rabia Çetin’s podcast was unconstitutional.
Three cases were also taken to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), including that of Kurdish musician Hozan Canê, who was found to have had her rights violated after being convicted of insulting the president. MLSA also filed a complaint on behalf of journalist Delal Akyüz, challenging his house arrest.
Battles over internet censorship
Turkey’s intensifying crackdown on online spaces led MLSA to file multiple lawsuits challenging bans on platforms like Instagram and Roblox. The organization also continued to fight the government’s deliberate internet throttling during the 2023 earthquake rescue efforts—a practice that hampered emergency communication.
In addition, the Constitutional Court ruled in favor of FreeWeb, MLSA’s anti-censorship platform, determining that blocking access to its reports violated free speech rights.
Emergency legal aid for journalists under fire
MLSA’s Legal Unit provided urgent support throughout 2024 to journalists facing police raids, detentions, and prosecutions. This included legal assistance for those reporting on protests, environmental issues, and elections, such as Erdoğan Alayumat, Zeynep Kuray, and Beril Eski.
Press freedom advocacy on the global stage
MLSA ramped up its international advocacy efforts, submitting reports to the United Nations and the Council of Europe, and meeting directly with officials like German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty.
It also issued over 20 joint statements with more than 60 global partners, including Article 19, Freedom House, Amnesty International, and the International Press Institute, condemning censorship, journalist arrests, and digital repression.
Training, reports, and public engagement
The organization expanded its training programs, hosting workshops on digital security, ECtHR applications, disaster reporting, and newsroom practices. MLSA also released major publications, including:
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30 Years of RTÜK Censorship, documenting three decades of broadcast regulation abuses
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Shadow of Two Palaces, featuring interviews with exiled journalists from Turkey and Russia
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My Evil Twin, a comparative study of judicial repression in Turkey and Russia
The FreeWeb platform revealed over 200,000 domains—14,000 of them news-related—were blocked in Turkey in 2023 alone.
Documentaries and media outreach
MLSA continued using multimedia to amplify its message. Its documentary We Are on Record! showcased testimonies from journalists facing police violence, while Our Wonderful Past highlighted the realities of exile journalism. MLSA TV produced 37 episodes covering press freedom, censorship, and digital rights.
Recognition and solidarity
Co-Director Veysel Ok was awarded the Max Stadler Medal in Berlin for his commitment to freedom of expression, while court reporter Deniz Tekin was named Journalist of the Year by the Southeastern Journalists Association for his investigative reporting on censorship.
MLSA also hosted high-profile panels and joined global forums like the Oslo Freedom Forum and the ZEG Storytelling Festival in Georgia, advocating for democratic resilience and journalistic freedom.
Resisting repression, building resilience
As press freedom continues to deteriorate in Turkey, MLSA’s work remains vital. Its 2024 report is both a sobering account of state repression and a testament to the resilience of journalists, lawyers, and civil society organizations fighting for democratic rights.
