Freedom House 2025 Report Highlights Turkey’s Deteriorating Freedom Scores
Turkey remains one of the top 10 countries where freedoms have declined the most over the past decade, according to the Freedom House 2025 World Freedom Report. The country, which was designated as “unfree” in 2018, has retained the same status in the latest assessment.
In the 2025 report, Turkey’s overall freedom score dropped to 33 out of 100, while its internet freedom score stood at 31 out of 100. The most significant decline was seen in political rights, which fell from 40 to 17, while civil liberties dropped to 16.
Turkey Ranks Seventh in Global Freedom Decline
The report, which evaluates 195 countries and 13 regions on key indicators such as human rights, democracy, press freedom, and authoritarianism, reveals that Turkey ranks seventh among nations that have experienced the steepest decline in freedoms between 2014 and 2024.
Turkey shares this position with Venezuela, trailing behind Nicaragua (1st), Tunisia, El Salvador, Niger, Hong Kong, and Serbia. Over the past decade, the country has lost 22 points in freedom-related metrics.
Global Freedom in Decline for 19 Consecutive Years
The 2025 Freedom House report warns that global freedoms have been declining for 19 straight years. Currently, only 20% of the world’s population lives in free countries, while 40% reside in “partly free” nations, and another 40% in “not free” countries, including Turkey.
The report also highlights worsening election integrity in authoritarian states, citing manipulated election results, restrictions on opposition candidates, voting suppression, and attacks on polling centers.
Crackdown on Press Freedom and Political Dissent
One of the key concerns raised in the report is the growing suppression of media and political opposition, particularly in “partly free” and “not free” countries. Journalists increasingly face persecution, imprisonment, prosecution, and even assassination attempts.
A striking example of this trend is South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol’s controversial actions, including declaring martial law, attempting to dissolve parliament, and banning opposition parties amid corruption allegations. Similar democratic backsliding has been noted in Serbia, Slovakia, and Israel.
Syria Sees a Surprising Improvement in Freedoms
Despite the overall decline in global freedoms, Syria emerged as an exception, with an improved score following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad on December 8. The report notes that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered Damascus, leading to Assad’s departure after 13 years of civil war.
“The sudden fall of Bashar al-Assad reminds the world that despotic regimes are often more fragile than they appear,” the report states.