ISTANBUL — An international rights group says Turkey has "all but silenced independent media" in an accelerating crackdown on journalists who are being detained on "bogus charges" including terrorism.
Human Rights Watch said in a new report released Thursday that the media crackdown sharpened in the wake the failed July 15 coup.
HRW's Europe and Central Asia director, Hugh Williamson, said that "the Turkish government and president's systematic effort to silence media in the country is all about preventing public scrutiny."
He said 148 journalist and media workers have been detained under the state of emergency.
Turkish officials didn't immediately comment on the report.
The government says it is fighting a multi-prong war on "terrorists," a term used in reference to coup backers, Kurdish militants and the Islamic State group.
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