Istanbul, Turkey (CNN) -- Investigative newspaper reporter Ismail Saymaz thought he faced 10 criminal cases against him for articles he had written.
But when he logged on to a Turkish government website to check his legal status, Saymaz discovered an unpleasant surprise: two new cases filed against him.
"They are asking for up to 95 years imprisonment for me in these 12 [cases]," he said.
The charges against Saymaz range from violating secrecy to influencing judicial processes.
Media watchdog organizations warn growing numbers of Turkish journalists now face not only the threat of lawsuits and fines for their work, but also possible jail sentences.
According to the International Press Institute, as of September 30, 50 press workers were incarcerated in Turkish prisons and at least 50 more were facing possible jail sentences.
The climate of intimidation led the European Commission to accuse Turkey of not sufficiently guaranteeing freedom of expression.
"Concerns remain as regards political attacks against the press," the European Commission announced Tuesday, in its annual progress report on Turkey's bid to become the first predominantly Muslim country to join the European Union.
The European report comes on the heels of a decision by the association Reporters Without Borders to downgrade Turkey's rating on a press freedoms index.
In two years, Turkey has dropped from 102 to 138 on the association's index, and now sits among the bottom 40 countries of the world when it comes to freedom of the press.
CNN
