Media Ethics Council in Northern Cyprus issues warning to the newspaper “Svobodnaya”

The Media Ethics Council in Northern Cyprus on January 13, 2026, issued a warning to the newspaper “Svobodnaya” following a review of a publication that covered an incident involving a man who recorded a video from the airport duty office and threatened to set the airport on fire, Kıbrıs Postası reports.

The Council found that the material used a headline and slogans that went beyond neutral information, contributing to the spread of hate speech and calls for vigilante justice. The decision states that the style employed did not add public value and could have intensified negative public reaction.

In justifying its decision, the Council referred to provisions of professional journalistic standards: the ban on publications that justify, encourage, or incite violence; the prohibition of insults and humiliation beyond the bounds of criticism; as well as the requirement for objective presentation of facts, respect for democratic values, and clear separation of news and commentary. The decision was adopted unanimously.

The Council recommended removing offensive and provocative comments under the online version of the article and reminded that matters of arrest fall within the competence of judicial authorities, not journalists. For residents of Northern Cyprus, this means increased regulatory attention to the language of public messages and the possible removal of aggressive comments in online media.