Aziz Oruç
Journalists and journalist organizations have expressed strong reactions against the recent arrests and detentions of journalists in İzmir and other areas. They unanimously call for the immediate release of the detained journalists.
In İzmir, police raided the homes of several journalists early in the morning. Reporters Semra Turan, Delal Akyüz, and Tolga Güney from Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Melike Aydın from JINNEWS, and Cihan Başakçıoğlu from Gazete Duvar were detained. Additionally, Fatma Funda Akbulut, a press worker for the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Parti), was also taken into custody. The reasons for the detentions of these six individuals, who were brought to the Anti-Terrorism Branch in Çankaya, remain unclear. A 24-hour restriction on lawyer access was reported, preventing attorneys from meeting with the journalists.
The detentions in İzmir, as well as the recent arrest of journalist Kibriye Evren in Istanbul and the imprisonment of journalist Selamet Turan in Diyarbakır, have sparked widespread condemnation. Journalists and organizations, including the Turkish Journalists' Association, the Journalists' Union of Turkey, the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association, and the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), have spoken out against these actions.
Kenan Şener, General Secretary of the Journalists' Association, commented, “Especially in the last two to three years, we have seen an unprecedented level of detention pressure on journalists. The detentions in İzmir are the latest example. Journalists operate in the public eye, visiting official institutions, courts, municipalities, and public places daily. Detaining them under the guise of 'terrorism' as if they were fugitives or hardened criminals is unacceptable. We have seen this before in Diyarbakır and Ankara, where detained journalists were accused of terrorism but were released after months in custody, often with acquittals. The main issue is that the so-called evidence against our colleagues typically consists only of their journalistic work."
Serdar Altan, Co-President of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association, said, "We know very well that our colleagues detained in İzmir were arrested for doing journalism. The aim is to silence journalists by escalating pressures, to neutralize those who speak out, write, draw, and tell the truth in society, and to plunge society into darkness. However, despite all pressures and obstacles, journalists will continue to pursue the truth. We demand the immediate release of our colleagues unjustly detained in İzmir.”
Banu Tuna, General Secretary of the Journalists' Union of Turkey, highlighted a pattern of intimidation against journalists before elections. "Looking back at reports and statements from April 2023, we see a common theme: Intimidation and detention of journalists before elections. With the presidential elections in May 2023 and now local elections on March 31, we are witnessing a resurgence of arrests and investigations against journalists. Unfortunately, this seems to be a tactic to prevent journalists from practicing their profession, to silence and intimidate them. The restrictions on lawyer access and confidentiality orders during detention periods make it impossible to defend our colleagues effectively."
Journalist Hicran Cengiz remarked, "Journalist detentions in Turkey are not innocent. There's no crime called journalism. Your work – news reports, professional activities – is criminalized through unrelated charges. The majority of charges against journalists involve terrorism and defamation. These detentions are related to a political atmosphere. The biggest obstacle to expanding civil space today is press and expression freedom. The right is being violated in many layers through journalist detentions."
Cengiz concluded, "Journalists need more than solidarity; they need to be embraced by all. Distances may separate us, but news unites us. The justice we defend for news will be needed by everyone someday."
