Turkey: Police Beat and Drag Two Women Journalists Covering Saturday Mothers Protest
The Coalition For Women In Journalism vehemently condemns police violence toward the journalists covering demonstrations.
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: July 15, 2023
Journalists covering the Saturday Mothers protests were physically assaulted and dragged through the street by police. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the assaults. The press should be able to report on demonstrations free from police harassment. We urge the police to conduct a transparent investigation into the misconduct of its officers.
Dilan Şimşek, a journalist from PİR News Agency, was assaulted by police officers and forcibly dragged through the streets while she was covering the 955th weekly demonstration of Saturday Mothers/People in Istanbul.
This incident sheds light on the continuous suppression faced by the Saturday Mothers, who have been peacefully protesting since 1995 for justice for their disappeared relatives. These disappearances have often been attributed to state security forces or paramilitary groups.
Despite a ruling by the Turkish Constitutional Court affirming the demonstrators' right to assemble, the Interior Ministry and Istanbul police persistently obstruct the protests and employ violent measures to suppress the Saturday Mothers' demonstrations.
During the gathering on July 15, Şimşek was handcuffed and briefly detained. The reporter has filed a criminal complaint against the police officers involved.
While covering the protest, Fatoş Erdoğan, a reporter for Dokuz8haber, was also assaulted by police officers and pushed to the ground.
Tension at the protest escalated as police established a blockade to prevent demonstrators from gathering in Galatasaray Square. Consequently, clashes erupted between the protestors and law enforcement, with journalists at the scene violently obstructed from documenting what was happening.
Journalists in Turkey are frequently targeted by the police while in the field and later subjected to torturous legal harassment through inquiries and trials, whereby the process serves as punishment. In February, five women journalists were obstructed and threatened by police while reporting the trial of Sibel Tekin.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism vehemently condemns the assaults on Dilan Şimşek and Fatoş Erdoğan. Attacks on press workers simply doing their jobs are unacceptable. Journalists have a right to report on demonstrations that are in the public’s interest and should not be obstructed or assaulted while doing so. We call on the Istanbul police to conduct a transparent investigation into the police violence and identify the officers responsible.
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.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.