Press and censor during the military coup dated September 12, 1980 in Turkey

Press, which is accepted as the fourth estate in democracies after legislation, execution and jurisdiction, has been a target for the political power since its existence as it is considered to be dangerous by the political power and dominance over press is deemed to be necessary for the continuation of the political power. History is full of examples of clashes between the political power and the press. The most prominent example of this in Turkish history is the military coup dated September 12, 1980.The military coup dated September 12, 1980, which was justified due to socio-economic instability and social chaos, is one of the most important periods when freedom of speech and freedom of press was cut. During this period, in which fundamental rights and freedoms were also cut, press was faced with tight prohibitions under both military coup administration and the Motherland Party (ANAP) administration. Newspapers were closed, news were faced with publication bans and journalists were sentenced to imprisonment. Censorship, which is the easiest way to silence the press, was one of the most striking characteristics of the period.Key words:1.Feedom of the press2.News blackout3.September 12, 1980 Military coup dated4.Press in Turkey5.Turgut Özal