Journalists, lawyers, students and civil society representatives gathered at the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Istanbul on May 7 for an event marking World Press Freedom Day, as speakers highlighted the pressures facing independent journalism in Turkey while emphasizing solidarity and resilience.
The event, titled “We Are Still Here: Conversations on Journalism, Resilience and Hope,” was organized jointly by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) and the Dutch Consulate General in Istanbul. Participants ranged from journalism students to veteran reporters amid ongoing debates over press freedom in Turkey.
Opening remarks were delivered by Dutch Consul General in Istanbul Daan Huisinga and MLSA Co-Director Veysel Ok.
Huisinga said solidarity and the sharing of experience among journalists become even more valuable during periods of increasing pressure.
“In such an environment, the work being done and the effort being shown become much more meaningful,” Huisinga said. “I see the dedication in the media, and I think it creates an encouraging atmosphere for journalists. A new generation of journalists is finding new and powerful ways to practice journalism. That is why sharing experiences and learning from journalists who have gone through these paths before is so important.”
Ok said journalism remains indispensable despite mounting pressure because it serves the public interest.
“Today’s theme is, ‘Why journalism despite all this pressure?’ In fact, the answer lies precisely in the conditions we are living through,” Ok said. “Journalism is not just a profession; it is an activity carried out on behalf of the public. Revealing the truth, asking questions and keeping records … when these disappear, only silence remains. As the Media and Law Studies Association, we work to protect this space, to show journalists they are not alone, and to provide legal support.”
“Why I chose journalism and why I continue”
In the first panel, investigative journalist Burcu Karakaş, T24 reporter Can Öztürk and Artı Gerçek journalist Hicran Cengiz discussed their paths into journalism and the motivations that have kept them in the profession.
Karakaş, who has previously worked for outlets including Milliyet, Deutsche Welle Turkish and Reuters, said she had no regrets about choosing journalism despite the current climate.
“At this point, I have absolutely no regret about choosing journalism as a profession,” she said, while also mentioning imprisoned or prosecuted journalists including İsmail Arı, Alican Uludağ, Pınar Gayıp and Merdan Yanardağ.
“This profession truly cannot be done without curiosity. But under current conditions, continuing is unfortunately not easy. The gradual disappearance of newsrooms, the shift toward freelance work and the weakening of spaces for exchanging ideas are also part of the reason for this decline,” she said.
Cengiz, a graduate of MLSA’s GazeteMLSA journalism program, said journalism had created opportunities for solidarity and collective motivation.
“Journalism allowed us to meet one another, to see that we are not doing anything alone, and to find motivation through that,” she said. “Keeping records is a very powerful feeling. Especially for a journalist working on rights violations, documenting events can change many things. I think what keeps me in this profession is precisely the power of recording.”
Öztürk said seeing the impact of news stories on society was one of the main reasons he remained committed to journalism.
“Sometimes a truth you uncover, sometimes a rights violation you make visible, or sometimes a voice you help people hear can have a tangible impact on people’s lives,” he said. “But at the same time, we are witnessing journalism being gradually devalued.”
“Creating space for independent journalism despite all difficulties”
The second panel featured T24 judicial correspondent Asuman Aranca and GazeteMLSA graduates Cengiz Anıl Bölükbaş and Duygu Köseoğlu, who discussed professional resilience, ways to protect against legal risks and the practical aspects of producing quality journalism.
Aranca said the desire to reach the truth and inform the public is what keeps journalists going despite pressure and legal risks.
“Despite all the difficult conditions, your enthusiasm for the profession, your desire to reach the truth and your wish to inform the public keep you in journalism,” she said. “Today, even someone with the smallest amount of power can target you, and even if you produce your news story with all supporting documents, you can still become the subject of prosecution.”
“Sometimes it feels like a futile effort,” she added. “But you are still leaving a record for history. Journalism is also about bearing witness. We are not heroes, we are journalists. Our job is to bring the public together with the truth.”
Bölükbaş said editorial and financial independence should be considered together for independent journalism to remain sustainable.
“Today, one of the most important issues for independent media is editorial independence,” he said. “Almost every newspaper and media organization has positioned itself within a certain ideological camp. But the media must be the voice not of just one segment, but of society as a whole.”
He added that financial independence also directly affects how journalism is practiced.
“When journalism is done properly, it has the power to generate its own financing,” he said. “That is why I believe we need to rebuild independent journalism today on the basis of both editorial and financial independence.”
Köseoğlu, who works for Medyascope, highlighted the transformative role of digital media in journalism.
“It is very important to establish mutual interaction between readers and journalism, and digital media is very powerful in this regard,” she said. “Being able to deliver news to people through digital tools without compromising journalistic principles has become one of the profession’s greatest opportunities today.”
She added that digital platforms allow journalists both to reach audiences faster and to immediately see reactions and feedback, making journalism’s social impact more visible.
Meeting point for young journalists
The event drew particular interest from journalism students, many of whom raised professional concerns and questions during the Q&A session. The evening concluded with a networking session that brought students together directly with figures working in Turkey’s independent media landscape.
Several speakers at the event were graduates of GazeteMLSA, MLSA’s journalism training program, which has trained hundreds of young journalists since 2019 through practical courses in investigative journalism, law and digital security. The participation of Hicran Cengiz, Cengiz Anıl Bölükbaş and Duygu Köseoğlu as speakers was presented as a concrete example of the program’s contribution to Turkey’s independent media ecosystem.
The event, which offered simultaneous Turkish-English interpretation, was also attended by foreign journalists and representatives from consulates.
