Incident
Türkiye: detention, injury and deportation of journalists covering protests, March 2025
After the detention of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, on March 19, 2025, protests spread in Türkiye, and between March 19 and March 28, 2025, the authorities detained at least 13 journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-profit organization in New York. From March 21 to 23, 2025, at least 14 journalists were injured after being beaten or shot with rubber bullets by Istanbul police, and on March 27 police detained the BBC correspondent Mark Lowen and deported him. CPJ said on April 2, 2025 that the authorities "have since arrested thousands of protesters and have moved aggressively to tamp down media coverage."1
What happened
On March 19, 2025, Turkish authorities detained the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, whom CPJ described as a potential challenger to the president of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in the next presidential election. Protests followed.1234
Between March 19 and March 28, 2025, at least 13 journalists were detained, including the reporter İsmail Saymaz, detained at his home in Istanbul on March 19, and the photojournalist Zişan Gür, detained while covering protests on March 23. From March 21 to 23, at least 14 journalists were injured after being beaten or shot with rubber bullets by Istanbul police. On March 27, Istanbul police detained the BBC correspondent Mark Lowen and deported him to London.1234
In a report of April 2, 2025, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-profit organization in New York, said the Turkish authorities "have since arrested thousands of protesters and have moved aggressively to tamp down media coverage" of the demonstrations.1234
Status as of 2025-04-02: Not publicly stated. CPJ described the detentions and restrictions on coverage as continuing amid mass arrests of protesters.4
What reason was given
Stated justificationThe authorities cited "accusations of corruption" against Istanbul's municipal government, controlled by the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), as the basis for the action against İmamoğlu. The sources cited give no separate reason for the detentions of journalists.2
What changed for reporting
Journalists covering the protests were detained, injured or, in Lowen's case, deported between March 19 and March 28, 2025, which reduced on-the-ground coverage of the demonstrations and their policing.3
Timeline
2025
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Government of Türkiye | enforced | National government |
Outlets and journalists
| Name | Kind | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| BBC | outlet | affected |
| Mark Lowen | journalist, BBC | affected |
Sources
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- Restrictions on journalists covering the protests began with Ismail Saymaz's detention.
On March 19, police detained freelance reporter and TV commentator İsmail Saymaz at his house in Istanbul.
Journalists in Turkey arrested, beaten, deported amid government crackdown on opposition, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2025-04-02.Claim 86, checked 2026-09-22. - Authorities cited corruption allegations against the CHP-controlled Istanbul municipality as the basis for the underlying restrictions.
accusations of corruption
Journalists in Turkey arrested, beaten, deported amid government crackdown on opposition, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2025-04-02.Claim 87, checked 2026-09-22. - CPJ documented detentions, beatings and the deportation of BBC's Mark Lowen among journalists covering the protests.
authorities have since arrested thousands of protesters and have moved aggressively to tamp down media coverage
Journalists in Turkey arrested, beaten, deported amid government crackdown on opposition, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2025-04-02.Claim 88, checked 2026-09-22. - CPJ's report described the restrictions as continuing amid mass arrests of protesters.
press freedom advocates are concerned that authorities are deliberately targeting them to suppress coverage
Journalists in Turkey arrested, beaten, deported amid government crackdown on opposition, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2025-04-02.Claim 89, checked 2026-09-22.