Dear friends,
What drives us most is making sure the voices being silenced are heard. Here is the voice of Erol Önderoglu, our colleague and RSF representative in Türkiye. A dedicated member of our organisation since February 1996, he has been threatened with imprisonment by the Turkish government for over nine years.
In May 2016, Erol Önderoglu and around 50 other prominent figures took turns acting as symbolic editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Özgür Gündem (“Free Agenda”), which was being persecuted by the Turkish authorities. Articles published during this support campaign are now being used to prosecute Erol and his two co-defendants for “terrorist propaganda”, “praising a crime or criminal” and “condoning a crime”. These charges carry a maximum sentence of 14 years and 6 months in prison under Anti-Terrorism Law No. 3713 and the Turkish Penal Code.
Although they were acquitted on 17 July 2019 after three years of legal proceedings, the Istanbul Court of Appeals overturned the ruling on 3 November 2020.
On 29 April 2025, Erol appeared before the Turkish courts for the 24th time. His trial will resume on 9 September.
An unwavering defender of press freedom, Erol has received numerous international awards. His detailed, trustworthy reporting has made him one of the most respected voices on Türkiye worldwide.
