On a recent evening, as the sounds of clashing pots and pans echoed through the streets of Istanbul, signaling another massive anti-government demonstration, a contrasting reality was being shown to viewers of Turkish pro-government television channels. Instead of covering the protests, which were triggered by the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, these channels focused on positive news, showcasing government achievements and avoiding any mention of the protests or interviews with protesters. The media landscape in Turkey, heavily influenced and controlled by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, reflects a deeply polarized and toxic media environment. Critics argue this imbalance prevents a fair and pluralistic media representation, affecting the coverage of the protests and the spread of information. The opposition and independent media outlets struggle under the weight of government control, facing fines, bans, and arrests for attempting to cover the events accurately. This situation highlights the challenges to press freedom and the right to information in Turkey.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/26/its-disinformation-turkish-state-tv-avoids-any-coverage-of-mass-street-protests