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Ezel Sahinkaya

Ezel Sahinkaya is a multimedia journalist at VOA’s Extremism Watch Desk covering Turkey, Eurasia, and the Middle East. Prior to joining VOA, her bylines have appeared in several Turkish media outlets including Cumhuriyet, T24, and Bianet. Born and raised in Istanbul, Ezel received her master’s degree in Near Eastern Studies at New York University’s Hagop Kevorkian Center where she focused on Turkey’s domestic politics.

Produced by Ezel Sahinkaya

June 10, 2022
Turkish Media Groups Voice Concern Over Draft Disinformation Bill

Critics say the proposed law, which can impose a three-year sentence for the spread of 'fake news,' could be used to silence journalists ahead of upcoming 2023 elections
April 22, 2022
Turkey’s Gezi Park Trial Nears Its End

The long-running Gezi Park trial enters its final phase as the defendants delivered their final defense statements, and the verdict is expected on Monday
April 08, 2022
Amid Russia-Ukraine War, Turkey Worries About Floating Mines in Black Sea

Turkey says it defused three naval mines off its Black Sea coast as Russia and Ukraine trade accusations over who planted them
February 10, 2022
Turkey's Media Regulator Forces VOA and Others to Obtain Licenses

RTUK demands outlets obtain broadcast licenses or be blocked; critics call move assault on media freedom
February 03, 2022
Six-Year Trial 'a Burden,' Says RSF's Turkey Representative

Media freedom advocate Erol Onderoglu was back in court this week for a retrial over a 2016 solidarity campaign
January 22, 2022
‘Impunity Persists’ in Case of Slain Turkish-Armenian Journalist

Thousands gather in Istanbul to commemorate Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and to demand full justice
January 13, 2022
Turkish Court Hands Life Sentence to Award-Winning Journalist

Rojhat Dogru has been recognized for covering clashes in Diyarbakir, filing footage even after being shot
December 05, 2021
Business Owners in Turkey Brace as Lira Drops

The Turkish lira has been hitting new record lows against the U.S. dollar in recent days. That is raising alarm among Turkish businessowners. VOA’s Ezel Sahinkaya has this report, narrated by Begum Ersoz.
October 13, 2021
Erdogan Says Media Are ‘Incomparably Free,’ But Turkish Journalists Disagree

Turkey's president dismisses criticism of press freedom record but many Turkish journalists say the country still has one of the harshest conditions for media in Europe
August 21, 2021
Erdogan Reiterates Interest in Securing Kabul Airport, Faces Criticism

Turkish opposition parties are urging the government to evacuate its soldiers
August 11, 2021
Turkey's Media Regulator Fines Broadcasters Over 'Demoralizing' Wildfire Coverage

Media analysts and journalism organizations describe move as a form of censorship and attempt to interfere with editorial independence
July 27, 2021
Germany Warns Turkey’s Exiled Media of Apparent Hit List

Journalists who were informed their names are on apparent hit list say threat shows Turkey's ability to reach critics outside its borders
July 15, 2021
Under Siege: How Failed Coup Gave Way to Major Media Crackdown in Turkey

Turkish journalists, lawyers reflect on five years of harassment following the military's 2016 attempt to overthrow the government
June 23, 2021
Turkey's Kurds Say Killing of Party Member Part of Government Crackdown

Turkey's pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party says the slaying of Deniz Poyraz should not be seen as an isolated hate crime
June 21, 2021
Turkish Operation Increases Conflict Among Kurds in Iraq

Turkish military has deployed ground troops and sophisticated weapons such as drones, and pressured PKK militants to seek safer hideouts under KRG's jurisdiction
June 09, 2021
Belarus Joins Long List of Regimes Targeting Exiled Critics

Belarus diverting a passenger plane to arrest a blogger is an extreme but not isolated case of authoritarian regimes grabbing critics living in exile
May 17, 2021
Pandemic Adds to Fear for Bosnians Awaiting Repatriation of Families in Syria

Families of Bosnian women and children held in the camps in Syria protest the slow pace of repatriation; officials say it's complicated
May 06, 2021
Water Drop in Euphrates River Increases Tensions Between Syrian Kurds, Turkey

Kurdish officials accuse Turkey of blocking water upstream to perpetuate drought conditions, electrical shortages, which Ankara firmly denies
April 21, 2021
How Arab Spring Changed Culture of Journalist Safety

High toll of journalists killed covering the Arab Spring and its aftermath in the past decade has resulted in important conversations about freelancer safety and training
April 16, 2021
LGBT People Fleeing Harassment in Iran Find Life No Easier in Turkey

LGBT Iranians who cross into Turkey endure discrimination again

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