Turkish Cypriot journalist Canan Onurer has reported receiving a direct death threat after refusing to take down a news report that exposed criminal activity involving individuals who had entered the northern part of Cyprus from Turkey. The threat has sparked strong reactions from media unions in the north, who denounce what they describe as growing efforts to silence journalists.
"If you don’t take the article down, we won’t let you live"
According to reports from the north, Canan Onurer, Digital Editions Coordinator at Kıbrıs Postası, was sent a threatening message reading: “If you don’t take the article down, we won’t let you live.” The threat came in response to a report published earlier this year detailing the arrest and deportation of individuals involved in a series of liquor thefts from shops in northern Nicosia in February.
Onurer has filed a formal complaint with the local 'police' in the north.
Media unions react, citing pattern of censorship
The Turkish Cypriot Press Workers’ Union (Basın-Sen) issued a strong statement of solidarity with Onurer, condemning the threat and vowing to follow the case through to its conclusion. “No threat will stop journalists from fulfilling their duty,” the union stated, calling the incident yet another example of the deteriorating environment for press freedom in the north.
The union also warned of an alarming rise in attempts to censor or suppress reports relating to crime committed by individuals entering through the north’s porous borders under tourist visas—an issue that has stirred wider public concern.
Press freedom in jeopardy
This latest incident adds to a growing list of threats against Turkish Cypriot journalists, many of whom face increasing pressure when reporting on corruption, migration, or criminal activity linked to networks operating from mainland Turkey. The threats are not isolated but appear as part of a systemic pattern where crime, censorship, and political sensitivity converge.
