Women Press Freedom is appalled by the treatment of the press by police. Officers must be investigated

Location: Turkiye, Istanbul

Date: March 17, 2024

Women Press Freedom supports Yaşar's decision to file a complaint against police officers who subjected the journalist to physical assault, racist insults, and threats when they violently detained her. Women Press Freedom reported on the unjust detention of Yaşar and police violence against her colleague, Bianet’s Tuğçe Yılmaz, during Kurdish New Year celebrations. Now, Yaşar has revealed the extent of the harassment she faced at the hands of the police. She was hit, threatened, and ridiculed because of her profession. The assault on Eylül Deniz Yaşar is emblematic of a broader pattern of police violence against journalists in Turkiye. The physical assault, use of derogatory language, and threats of violence by law enforcement officers against a journalist is an assault on democracy and freedom of expression. Authorities must investigate and hold accountable the officers involved.

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“If it were up to me, I'd burn you all alive, I'd hang you all,” were words spoken by police officers toward AFP journalist Eylül Deniz Yaşar when she was violently detained on March 17, 2024.

Yaşar, along with approximately 50 others, was detained by Turkish police during the Kurdish New Year celebrations in Istanbul. Despite presenting her press card, she was met with aggression as officers attempted to confiscate her camera and detain her without justification. 

Throughout her six-hour ordeal, Yaşar experienced a harrowing combination of physical, verbal, and psychological violence.

Yaşar recounts an encounter with a police officer who attempted to physically assault her. "She walked towards me, shouting, and tried to slap me. I raised my hand in the air and defended myself. She grabbed my hand and tried to twist it."

“I was treated inhumanely, along with everyone who was taken with me,” says Yaşar. “I constantly stated that I had a complaint against the police who insulted and shouted at me. They were laughing and saying, 'Okay, you can complain.' The police who targeted me often tried to physically hit me.”

The reporter says the police repeatedly called everyone in custody a "traitor" and "terrorist." 

Yaşar claims her identity as a journalist made her a specific target for harassment and 

intimidation by the police. “They were constantly trying to provoke me by calling me a 'so-called journalist,” says the reporter.

As Yaşar attempted to assert her constitutional rights and condemn the police violence, the officers threatened to "cut out [her] tongue" for speaking out.

The mistreatment of Yaşar and her fellow detainees extended to degrading and racist insults. When the detainees protested their treatment, police officers callously hurled racist threats at the mostly Kurdish journalists and activists.

Yaşar recalls, “When we said that what they did was torture, the answer was very clear: 'You were not tortured. What's wrong with the Kurds in this country? The Jews were like you. What did they do to them in Germany? It all became soap. Pray that we don't make you soap like the Jews.”

Such reprehensible rhetoric served to compound the trauma inflicted upon Yaşar and others in custody. Yaşar is planning to file a complaint against the police officers who assaulted and threatened her.

Police violence against journalists covering demonstrations and those who are unjustly detained is alarmingly common in Turkiye. Women Press Freedom has documented numerous cases where journalists have been violently apprehended, subjected to ridicule, insulted, and even beaten by police officers. These attacks against the press trying to report must end. The Turkish government must take concrete steps to safeguard press freedom and ensure the safety and protection of journalists. This includes providing training for law enforcement officers on the rights of journalists and implementing measures to prevent harassment and intimidation in the future.

Women Press Freedom vehemently condemns the assault against Eylül Deniz Yaşar. She was persistently threatened and insulted after identifying herself as a journalist, showing the contempt the officers in question have for members of the press. We support Yaşar’s decision to file a complaint against the police officers and demand a swift and transparent investigation into those involved.

Women Press Freedom is an initiative by The Coalition For Women In Journalism

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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