On 21 December 2024 Turkish police detained 59 individuals, including journalists, during a protest at Şişhane Square in Istanbul, Türkiye / Turkey. The protest was held in response to the recent deaths of Kurdish journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin, killed in a drone strike in northern Syria on 20 December 2024. Of those detained, nine individuals, including seven journalists, have been formally arrested, while others were released under judicial control or freed after police questioning. Released under judicial control are reporters Zeynep Kuray, Yadigar Aygün, Mahsum Sağlam.
The detained journalists were attempting to read a statement organized by the Dicle Fırat Journalists’ Association (Dicle Fırat Gazeteciler Derneği – DFG – https://diclefiratgazeteciler.org/), Mezopotamya Women Journalists’ Association (Mezopotamya Kadın Gazeteciler Platformu – MKG – https://mkgp.org/), and DİSK Basın-İş (https://www.diskbasinis.org/). Their goal was to honor the slain journalists, who were reportedly targeted while covering the conflict in northern Syria. The statement drew support from political figures and civil society representatives, but police intervened before it could be delivered, placing attendees under tight surveillance and making arrests.
The journalists now facing charges include Gülistan Dursun and Hayri Tunç who are freelance journalists, Enes Sezgin social media manager for the daily Yeni Yaşam (https://yeniyasamgazetesi5.com/), Osman Akın who is news editor for Yeni Yaşam, and Can Papila from Yeni Yaşam Newspaper, along with Pınar Gayıp from Etkin News Agency (ETHA) and Serpil Ünal from Mücadele Birliği Newspaper (https://www.mucadelebirligi23.net/). The authorities have accused them of carrying photographs of Daştan and Bilgin, alleged to be evidence of “propaganda for an illegal organization” and violating Türkiye / Turkey strict laws on public demonstrations.
Following their arrest, the journalists issued a defiant statement through their lawyers, quoting a poetic message: “Reigns and palaces also fall. Only those who resist and the struggles of Nazıms and Cihans will endure. Journalism is not a crime.”
The incident underscores ongoing concerns about press freedom in Türkiye / Turkey.
As the situation develops, press organizations and rights groups remain steadfast in their demand for justice for the detained journalists and accountability for the deaths of Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the arrest of journalists during the protest in Istanbul, organized to honor the memory of Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin, who tragically lost their lives while covering events in northern Syria. The detention and subsequent arrest of media workers for exercising their right to report and participate in peaceful demonstrations represents a serious violation of press freedom and democratic principles. SEEMO calls on Turkish authorities to immediately release the detained journalists and ensure the media can operate without fear of retaliation or censorship. SEEMO will continue to monitor this case closely and advocate for the rights of journalists in Türkiye / Turkey and beyond.
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
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