Turkish prosecutors have initiated a criminal investigation into pro-opposition broadcaster TELE1 following a subtitle error that appeared to equate President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported, citing local media. The prosecutors referred them to a Criminal Court of Peace requesting judicial supervision measures, including a travel ban and regular reporting to a police station. Most recently, RTÜK imposed a five-day broadcast ban and fine in August following the remarks of channel’s editor-in-chief Yanardağ. Turkey ranked third among European Union candidate countries in press freedom violations in the first half of 2025, with 64 incidents affecting at least 157 journalists and media entities, according to a new report by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR). The country, which has been suffering from a poor record of freedom of the press for years, also ranks 159th among 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) 2025 World Press Freedom Index.