Once a safe haven, Turkey tightens grip on foreign journalists

Long known as a safe haven for foreign freelancers, Turkey has especially become a hub for foreign journalists who wanted to cover the post-Arab Spring Middle East from a relatively stable and secure environment. But when foreign reporters have aired views critical of the Turkish government, as during the Gezi protests in 2013 or the mining disaster in 2014, they have sometimes been subject to smear campaigns and direct intimidation.

Turkish authorities’ recent clampdown on the foreign press in southeast Turkey warrants global attention at a time when reliable news about the resurgent Kurdish conflict, the ongoing battle with the Islamic State, and the multi-sided crises in Syria and Iraq is vital. The current attacks on the Turkish and Kurdish media, along with the arrests of foreign reporters, send a chilling message to the rest of the resident foreign journalists in Turkey. The growing accusations against foreign journalists of being spies or even terrorists not only compromise their reporting, but also may incite violence against them.