Reporters Without Borders names Erdogan "enemy of press freedom"

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Turkish regime has arrested at least 200 journalists and closed over 120 media outlets since the coup attempt, Reporters Without Borders said. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hides behind a "veneer of democracy," the group added, according to Deutsche Welle.

Erdogan likes the media to be "submissive and docile and sing his praises," Reporters Without Borders said in a report published on Wednesday. The document lists 35 leaders and organizations deemed "enemies of press freedom," said the group, also known by its French acronym RSF.

RSF published the list on Wednesday, November 2, the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists.

Following the failed coup in July, Ankara has started a crackdown on the press that worsened an already grim situation in Turkey, according to the organization. Over 200 journalists have been arrested and 125 remained in prison as in early October. The government also eliminated at least 124 media outlets "by decree" the report said.

Erdogan hides his "aggressive dictatorship under a veneer of democracy" according to the RSF.

The Turkish president is one of the new additions to the list, alongside Saudi King Salman, Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, Burundi's Pierre Nkurunziza and several others. Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Kremlin Chief Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un are also listed in the 2016 report.