Due to its coverage of recent protests, Turkey has tightened its crackdown on media freedom, deporting a BBC journalist and banning an opposition television channel from airing for ten days. International organisations and press freedom advocates have widely criticised the action, seeing it as part of a larger attempt to silence dissenting voices before significant political events.
Although detractors claim the decision was made for political reasons, government officials claim the BBC journalist was expelled for allegedly breaking press rules. Following its extensive coverage of anti-government protests, which authorities say contained false information and incitement to unrest, the opposition TV channel was sanctioned.
