Journalist Elif Akgül, who was arrested in an operation targeting the People's Democratic Congress (HDK) on Feb. 21, is reported to be in good condition and high spirits in prison.
Veysel Ok, co-director of the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), visited Akgül at Bakırköy Prison on March 1. While Akgül remains in good spirits, some prison conditions have been challenging, according to reports.
In a message sent from prison, Akgül stated:
"We heard your solidarity from inside, and it made us happy. Everyone here is aware of the illegality of the case and why we are being held. That’s why morale is high. It seems that in Turkey, it's our turn to go to prison. We hope this will be the last time. See you on the outside."
During the visit, Akgül also mentioned difficulties in accessing drinking water in her ward, saying that inmates could only purchase bottled water from the prison canteen, often after long waiting periods.
Background
On Feb. 18, police carried out raids in 10 provinces across Turkey, including Istanbul, detaining four journalists. Among them, Akgül was arrested on Feb. 21 by the Istanbul 8th Criminal Judgeship of Peace on charges of having ties to the People's Democratic Congress (HDK), with authorities citing "strong suspicion of criminal activity."
Journalists Yıldız Tar and Ercüment Akdeniz were also arrested as part of the same operation.
On Feb. 25, lawyers from MLSA’s legal unit filed an appeal against Akgül’s detention.
