Today is an important day

Berkant Gültekin Turkey is in the midst of a severe storm. The livelihood crisis faced by the people is accompanied by heavy political pressure. There is no end in sight to the operations, detentions and arrests.

The opposition presidential candidate and dozens of elected mayors are in prison. The results of the local elections held two years ago are effectively being nullified through judicial interventions. Municipalities are being run by appointed administrators and individuals not elected by the people.

Democracy is on hold. The leadership of the main opposition party, which won the last election, has once again been handed over to a ‘controlled opposition’ by a court ruling. The gates of the 103-year-old CHP, the party that founded the Republic, were broken down by the police, and the party headquarters were seized in a raid.

The government is attacking anyone who stands in its way with all its might. The exercise of rights, which are an integral part of democracy, is being arbitrarily obstructed. Freedoms are being disregarded.

An atmosphere of fear is being sought to be imposed across the country. Naturally, in such an environment, journalism is also bearing its share of the pressure. Whilst the country is being dragged towards a system without elections or opposition, we could not have expected the media to remain immune to this!

Less than a year after a trustee was appointed to TELE1, Turkey’s most-watched news channel, Halk TV, has also been seized. Alongside major online news sites such as T24, personal and corporate social media accounts are also being blacked out by a wave of censorship. New names are being added to the list of imprisoned journalists almost every day.

Merdan Yanardağ has been in prison for a year. Murat Ağırel, Tuğba Tekerek, Fatih Ergin, Selahattin Günday, Mustafa Balcı and Derya Okatan are also in custody. Our colleague and brother İsmail Arı was also arrested on 21 October, after being held in custody for one day, despite having gone to give his statement of his own accord!

What’s more, İsmail had been released from prison just four months ago, having spent 75 days there. This is the second time in seven months that they have sent İsmail to prison. One of Turkey’s most honest, most reliable, hardest-working and best journalists is once again behind bars simply because he is not ‘acceptable’… Do not expect us to accept this, to be cowed, or to say ‘these things happen’!

We will never accept this! We will never swallow this! We will never normalise this!

Because this is not lawful, because this is not fair, because this defies reason and conscience! Ismail, Murat, Merdan and our other colleagues… Not one of them embezzled funds or pocketed billions of lira. Not one of them abused public power for personal gain.

None of them lied to the public for their own gain. Not a single one of them has even a single kuruş of ill-gotten gains to account for. What we are experiencing are the consequences of a historic turning point.

As the regime becomes increasingly authoritarian and institutionalised, it does not want any dynamic of dissent that could threaten its very existence to remain alive. This is the reason behind the siege on politics, the media and society. Today, Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Diyarbakır and many other cities will host significant demonstrations.

Journalists standing up for their profession, their colleagues and the public’s right to information will march shoulder to shoulder with citizens. They will raise their voices in support of free journalism, democracy and justice, in the face of censorship and repression. Only the unwavering, unyielding and resolute will of society can halt this storm.

Journalism can only stand firm against the regime of lies with the support and solidarity of its readers. It is the duty of citizens to stand up for journalists who are fighting, at great personal risk, to ensure the public knows the truth, and to defend the right to information. Meeting points and times for today’s demonstrations: Istanbul: March from the Kadıköy Bull Statue to the square – 13.00 | Ankara: March from Kolej Junction to Sakarya Street – 14.00 | Izmir: March from the Türkan Saylan Cultural Centre on Cyprus Martyrs’ Street to the harbour – 14.00 | Adana: In front of the Press Monument in Artists’ Park – 13.00 | Diyarbakır: March from in front of the Courthouse to the BTK building – 14.00 | Antalya: March from in front of the Attalos Statue to Cumhuriyet Square – 14.00 | Bursa: Osmangazi, Şehreküstü Square – 14.00 | Eskişehir: Köprübaşı – 14.00 | Kocaeli: İzmit, Uğur Mumcu Park – 14.00 | Van: March from Art Street to City Square – 14.00 Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Bugün önemli bir gün, published in BirGün newspaper on October 24, 2026.