Turkey: Increase in Violence Against Kurdish Journalists — CFWIJ Condemns State Oppression on the Press
Location: Turkey, Antalya
Date: April 14, 2023Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
After 10 months of detention, an indictment was prepared against four imprisoned Kurdish women journalists. Dilan Akyol, a Kurdish news agency reporter, was briefly detained. CFWIJ condemns the crackdown on Kurdish journalists and media outlets.
On April 12, Kurdic journalists Elif Üngür, Neşe Toprak, Remziye Temel, and Safiye Alagaş were indicted after being detained for 10 months. The first hearing will be held on July 11.
On April 14th, Dilan Akyol, a correspondent for the Mezopotamya News Agency, was detained by police as she left her home. Aykol was taken into custody and charged with "terrorist propaganda" for news reported in 2016. The prosecutor dropped the charges after she provided a statement.
In 2022, at least 43 women journalists working with Kurdish news were detained during raids. Lawsuits have been filed against women journalists. Four have been imprisoned for 10 months. In April this year, at least six female journalists working for Kurdish media outlets were targeted.
Üngür, Toprak, Temel, and Alagaşwere detained along with 14 other journalists on June 8, 2022, in a police raid on their homes. News coverage honoring International Women's Day, and Newroz was deemed criminal. They were charged after an 8-day detention period.
Wiretapped phone conversations between Temel and her sources are included in the indictment as evidence of spreading terrorist propaganda.
CFWIJ condemns the government's continuous targeting of Kurdish journalists. Journalists should be able to perform their profession freely, regardless of ethnic identity. Journalism is not a crime.
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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