Turkey: Increase In Detentions At Border - Banu Acun Detained Returning From Germany
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: May 7, 2023Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
Journalist Banu Acun detained at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport upon entering Turkey. CFWIJ condemns Turkey for restricting journalists' freedom of movement, imperiling the increasingly deteriorating freedom of press in the country.
Border control detains documentary filmmaker Banu Acun while returning from Germany. Press freedom organization MLSA convinced authorities to release the journalist under the condition she provides a statement within five days.
The Turkish government issued an arrest warrant for Banu Acun having "insulted the Turkish nation, the Turkish Republic state, and its institutions." The journalist says she was unaware of the warrant and has not yet been informed of the specifics of the charges.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed at the recent spike in border officers detaining journalists as they seek to return to Turkey.
In the past six months, several journalists have been detained at border control, including Rojin Altay, a reporter with the pro-Kurdish daily newspaper Yeni Yaşam, when attempting to board a flight from Istanbul to Diyarbakir; and Diren Yurtsever, detained while traveling from Diyarbakir to Istanbul.
Press Freedom in Decline
Authorities are cracking down on press ahead of elections. Police violence is especially on the rise. On May 1, police physically assaulted Journalist Zeynep Kuray, KRT TV reporter Sultan Eylem Keleş and two other journalists. Police also prevented several journalists from covering Labor Day. In April, police detained eight female journalists during raids, issuing arrest warrants for Jinnews reporter Beritan Canözer and Dicle Fırat Journalists Association co-chair Dicle Müftüoğlu.
The Coalition for Women in Journalism has detected a stark increase in lawsuits filed against journalists. One case is that of Sibel Hürtaş, who was legally harassed after covering a link between a military official and a suspected terrorist. The first court case was dismissed due to lack of evidence, but she was subsequently charged with "publicly insulting a public official in the course of his/her duty." The trial is still ongoing.
Freedom of Movement
CFWIJ strongly condemns the detention of journalist Banu Acun at Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport upon entering Turkey. The violation of journalists' freedom of movement is an additional threat to Turkey's already deteriorating state of press freedom. Acun’s detention infringes on her fundamental human rights and should not be tolerated. The recent rise in the number of border officers detaining journalists upon their return to Turkey is alarming. The government’s attempts to control the narrative and prevent the spread of information critical of the administration are especially worrying ahead of the elections. To ensure a free and fair democratic process, CFWIJ calls on the Turkish government to take immediate action to ensure that the media doesn’t operate with a constant fear of judicial harassment and is able to cover Turkey’s democratic process.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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