Turkey: Police Obstructed And Physically Assaulted Journalists At Istanbul’s 20th LGBTQ+ Pride
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: June 27, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
Journalists were brutally beaten and obstructed by police while following the LGBTQ+ Pride in Istanbul. Police blocked hundreds of people from gathering for Istanbul's 20th Pride parade on Sunday and detained dozens, including a photographer, following the ban coming from local authorities for marching again this year. Reporters were physically assaulted while reporting the events and many of them were exposed to verbal harassment. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ), strongly condemns the escalating police brutality against journalists. All types of violence are unacceptable.
The Turkish police prevented a banned LGBTQ+ Pride march in Istanbul. More than 300 demonstrators, including the AFP’s chief photographer Bülent Kılıç, were detained at the scene. Thousands of people used to take part in Pride marches on Istanbul's heart, Taksim / Istiklal Avenue; however, in recent years Erdogan’s government banned the parade and his party toughened its stance on LGBTQ+ freedom. On Sunday at least 361 people were detained according to the lawyers’ record.
İstanbul LGBTİ +Onur Yürüyüşü'ne polis saldırdı. Basın darp edilip, alandan zorla uzaklaştırılırken, geçen sene yine onur yürüyüşünde polis tarafından yere yatırılarak boğulmak istenilen AFP Büro Fotoğraf Şefi Bülent Kılıç işkenceyle gözaltına alındı.#Pride2022 pic.twitter.com/whP80WapHP
— Zeynep Kuray (@zeynokuray) June 26, 2022
Polisin gazetecileri ablukaya alıp darp ettiği anlar #Pride2022 #OnurHaftası pic.twitter.com/uQgps6yfVE
— İzel Sezer (@izelsezer) June 26, 2022
#Pride2022 #PrideMonth #Onuryürüyüşü
— Fatoş Erdoğan (@puleragema) June 26, 2022
İşte Türkiye'de basının hali!@TGS_org_tr @Disk_Basin_is
Fotoğraf @ErsanKinik pic.twitter.com/Ht3vo2mskQ
Gozalti aracı goturulunce cikariyorlar bizi de. Gazeteciler cekim yapamiyor. Ablukaya aliniyor. Duyun sesimizi.
— Meral Danyıldız (@meraldanyildiz) June 26, 2022
Journalists were also blocked by the police. Speaking to CFWIJ, Etkin News Agency (ETHA) editor Pınar Gayıp said that the police started blocking and detaining the protestors a few hours before the parade. “The journalists were surrounded by police officers,” said Pınar. When reporters insisted on filming the events, police responses were harder than before. She said for the very first time police blocked all streets and places and did not allow any journalist to film any kind of violation.
“Some of our colleagues were pushed and thrown to the floor, some others were pushed from higher places where they were filming the incidents and fell,” Pınar added. She also said how their lives were severely threatened. "We were pushed to the traffic while reporting detentions at Pride. A bus was coming and stopped at the last moment, and police set up a barricade behind us," she said.
Another journalist, Cerise Sudry-Le Dû, also told CFWIJ that she was blocked by the police. The journalist said she was violently pushed from a bar and fell on an activist. “During the pride, I was violently pushed by polis from a bar, and it was so crowded and violent that I fell down. Another woman was under me and I couldn’t move to let her breathe because some other journalist fell on me,” Cerise said.
Journalist Zeynep Kuray shared the video of the police violence on her Twitter account. She shared the moments of AFP Photo Chief Bülent Kılıç’s being detained. She also said many journalists were beaten at the scene.
İleri News reporter Izel Sezer shared a video when the journalists were physically assaulted on her social media account. She said, "The moments when the police blockaded and beat the journalists".
While reporting the march, dokuz8news reporter Fatoş Erdoğan, shared a photo of her falling to the ground. “Here is the state of the press in Turkey!” she quoted.
Artı TV reporter Meral Danyıldız, on the other hand, recorded the moments when the police blockaded the press. The journalist said, “We are unofficially detained now. They[police] blockaded us where we were. They don't move anywhere and keep us here”.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the police brutality in which at least ten women journalists were subjected to physical violence. Journalists are responsible to follow the developments in the public interest. These kinds of attacks cast a shadow to press freedom and are unacceptable. We demand the authorities immediately end violence against journalists. Journalists should be able to do their job freely.
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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