Journalist Yıldız Tar, who was detained in a police operation targeting the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) in Istanbul on Feb. 18, has completed her police questioning. Tar was accompanied by lawyers from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) during her statement. Police questioned her about her personal social media accounts, union and association memberships, civil society activities, and phone calls made in 2012 and 2013.
Civil society activities treated as criminal evidence
During her detention, authorities imposed a 24-hour restriction on lawyer access before taking her statement. Police asked Tar whether she had relatives "actively involved" in the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) or the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), whether she was a member of any union or association, and whether she had any role within the HDK. Additionally, she was questioned about the structure, activities, and financial sources of the HDK.
Tar was also asked to explain phone conversations and text messages related to civil society protests she had participated in. Authorities scrutinized her past phone records, including messages from various contacts regarding meeting dates and times.
Tar: "My conversations were related to women's rights advocacy"
In her statement, Tar said she was a volunteer with the Boğaziçi University LGBTQ+ student group and had engaged with feminist organizations, particularly in relation to events marking International Women’s Day on March 8. Investigators also asked her about the individuals she had communicated with, portraying her discussions with women’s rights activists and advocates as potential criminal activity.
HDK operation
The operation targeting HDK was conducted as part of an investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. Authorities issued detention orders for 60 individuals across 10 provinces. A total of 52 people, including officials from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and the Labor Party (EMEP), as well as several journalists, were taken into custody.
The prosecutor’s office alleges that those detained were active within the HDK in Istanbul. Authorities claim that HDK is a continuation of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), which Turkey's Court of Cassation ruled as a "terrorist organization" in 2019. The investigation argues that the HDK operates as a "legal front" for the DTK and serves as an "alternative parliament" to Turkey’s legislature.
Among those detained alongside Tar in the Feb. 18 operation were journalists Elif Akgül, Ercüment Akdeniz, and Erdal İmrek, as well as Nurcan Kaya from the Peace Foundation.
