The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will hold its annual meeting in Ankara, Turkey. Around 70 journalists and trade union representatives are expected to meet on 18-19 June 2026. It is co-organised by the Journalists’ Association (GCD), based in the capital city of Turkey.
Under the theme “Independent journalism under siege”, the EFJ Congress will kick off with a conference on “The global crisis of journalism”. The event will welcome Márton Gergely, chief editor of HVG, Hungary’s leading weekly and Chair of the IPI Executive Board, for a keynote discussion on the global challenges facing the profession.
During the Congress, panels will also explore critical issues for today’s journalism, including conflict zones, precarious working conditions, digital transformation and the rise of Artificial intelligence. The event will also spotlight the critical state of press freedom in Turkey and provide a platform to reaffirm solidarity with Turkish journalists facing repression.
Nazmi Bilgi, President of the Journalists’ Association (GCD), stressed that the event would serve as a crucial opportunity to reaffirm the profession’s unwavering solidarity with all Turkish journalists.
“At a time when the journalism profession is facing profound challenges across the world, we firmly believe that solidarity and cooperation among journalists constitute one of our strongest shared values. In this regard, we consider the 2026 EFJ Annual Meeting, to be hosted by the Journalists’ Association in Ankara this year, as a meaningful and powerful symbol of professional solidarity for all journalists working in Turkey. We look forward with great pleasure to welcoming you to Türkiye, and particularly to our capital, Ankara, on this important occasion.”
EFJ President Maja Sever added: “The EFJ Annual Meeting is not just a regular gathering of our members; it is also a message and an act of solidarity. That is why it is important that we are meeting in Turkey this year, as a sign of support for journalists working under constant political pressure, facing court cases, detention and restrictions on media freedom. We monitor and document pressures on journalists, legal proceedings, detentions and other violations of journalists’ rights in Turkey, and we want to show that the European journalism community stands with its colleagues and will not remain silent when media freedom and the public’s right to information are under threat. Being a journalist in Turkey today is not easy, and that is why we will soon be there with them, to demonstrate support, solidarity and our shared commitment to defending free and independent journalism.”
Source: EFJ
