Turkey: Three Women Journalists Detained For A Retweet
Authorities have previously charged journalists for retweeting the news
Location: Turkey, Ankara, Istanbul, Diyarbakır
Date: July 25, 2023
Five journalists, and three women journalists, detained across Turkey for allegedly retweeting news about a prosecutor. The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the targeting of critical journalists and the attempts to curb press freedom and freedom of expression. All charges should be dropped immediately.
On July 25, journalists Sibel Yükler, Evrim Deniz, and Evrim Kepenek were detained following allegations they retweeted news about the recent reassignment of Prosecutor Mehmet Karababa and his wife. The detained journalists are facing charges of "targeting a public official."
This isn’t the first time law enforcement has targeted journalists for retweeting news. In November 2022, Derya Saadet was charged with terrorism for retweeting news questioning the effectiveness of a prosecutor. She was acquitted last June due to the “absence of criminal facts.”
The case against Yükler, Deniz, and Kepenek revolves around Prosecutor Karababa, who gained notoriety for drafting the indictment in a trial against journalists in Diyarbakır. Fifteen Kurdish journalists were unjustly imprisoned for 13 months on fabricated charges of terrorism.
During the trial, it was revealed that the prosecutor and his wife, who was part of the panel of judges overseeing the case, were reassigned last week to a different court by the Council of Judges and Prosecutors.
On July 25th, Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the journalists for sharing the news of the reassignment on Twitter.
Gazete Duvar journalist Evrim Deniz was initially summoned for questioning in Diyarbakır as part of the investigation and was later detained after giving a statement to the police.
In Ankara, T24 editor Sibel Yukler’s home was raided by police and she was transferred to the capital’s Security Directorate. The journalist was previously detained in 2022 while advocating for the release of the Kurdish journalists who were arrested in Diyarbakır. During that detention, she was handcuffed and physically assaulted by police.
In Istanbul, Evrim Kepenek - the Women and LGBTI+ rights editor at Bianet - was detained after a police raid at her home. The police attempted to search her home without waiting for her lawyer to arrive and confiscated digital equipment belonging to Kepenek and her brother. Kepenek was taken into custody and brought to a police station after the search. Kepenek has been persistently harassed by Turkish authorities for her reporting.
Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reporters Fırat Can Arslan and Delal Akyüz were also detained alongside the three women journalists.
On July 26th, Yükler, Deniz, Kepenek and Akyüz were released under “judicial control.”
Violations against journalists in Turkey are frequent and alarming. Women journalists are arbitrarily detained, harassed with lawsuits, and imprisoned for criticizing the state. The Erdogan government has shown complete disregard for press freedom and continues to exert control over state media outlets.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is alarmed by the detention of the five journalists for allegedly sharing news that was in the public record. Prosecutor Karababa appears to be abusing his position of power to target journalists. The extent of this clampdown on retweeting is incredibly harmful. We demand that the absurd charges against the journalists are dropped and the state stops targeting journalists.
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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