Location: Turkey, Diyarbakir
Date: October 20, 2019

Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe

Early morning on October 19, the house of journalist Nurcan Baysal was raided by Turkish police because of her critical social media posts.

According to Bianet, the raid took place early morning Saturday. The house in Diyarbakır was raided by 30–40 policemen.

The journalist is currently a resident with English PEN in London and made a statement on Twitter:

“This morning at 5 am, 30–40 armed police officers raided my house and asked for me. I am currently abroad, therefore not detained, but my two kids were terrified. There is no trace of human rights in Turkey. But whatever the cost, I will continue my struggle for human rights and peace!”

English PEN also released a statement asking for Turkish authorities to respect freedom of speech. Direction Danial Gorman said that the raid was part of an ongoing assault by authorities on free press in the country. “English PEN condemns the raid on the house of courageous journalist Nurcan Baysal by Turkish Security Forces. We call on the Turkish government to respect international conventions on freedom of expression and to support a free and independent media,” he said.

Nurcan Baysal is a Kurdish writer, human rights activist and journalist from Diyarbakır. She is a columnist of Ahval News. With Turkey’s attack on the Kurds of Syria, it’s no surprise that someone like her has come under fire. She has written many works on the Kurdish population, in addition to her work as a journalist.

We as Coalition For Women In Journalism condemn the raid and call on Turkish authorities to respect not only human rights but also independent and free media. According to our data, despite no longer being the largest jailer of women journalists in the world, Turkey still holds the second position accounting for the bulk of those in prisons.

The government needs to do better and allow journalists to perform their duties with safety and dignity. We want an independent and free environment for Turkish media.

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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.

Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org

The Coalition For Women In Journalism closely monitors the incidents in Turkey with great concern. Since March 8, Women's Day, police violence against women journalists increasingly continues in the country. As the coalition, we urge the Turkish state to provide a free environment for journalists. Following the news is our most fundamental democratic right to report. We demand the immediate release of our detained colleagues. Journalism is not a crime. Journalism cannot be prevented.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.