Three journalists from the Mezopotamya Agency, Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoğan Alayumat, were arrested and charged with being members of a terrorist organization. The Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office has not provided their lawyers with a copy of the arrest order, citing a confidentiality order in the case files.
Esra Solin Dal has been taken to Bakırköy Women's Prison, Erdoğan Alayumat to Metris Prison, and Mehmet Aslan to Sincan Prison, following their arrest. These developments are part of a larger operation against the press that took place on April 23, which included house raids and the detention of nine journalists. These journalists are predominantly associated with Mezopotamya Agency and other independent media outlets.
The detainees faced questions over their reporting, sources, and social media activities during their police interrogations. While the three journalists have been formally jailed pending trial, the others were released under judicial control.P
Press under scrutiny
During the interrogations, specific attention was given to the journalists' engagement with sensitive topics such as interviews about Abdullah Öcalan's solitary confinement, women’s rights, and the alleged war crimes in Turkey. Reports indicate that the questioning aimed to establish a narrative of "perception management" and incitement by the journalists through their professional activities.
Esra Solin Dal reportedly chose to exercise her right to remain silent and declared she would only give her statement in court.
Solidarity among journalists
Despite the arrests, the spirit among the journalists remains unbroken. Speaking in front of the Çağlayan Courthouse, six journalists who were greeted with chants of "Free press cannot be silenced" voiced their determination to not be intimidated by the ongoing crackdown on media freedom. Saliha Aras, a journalist from Yeni Yaşam Newspaper, emphasized the importance of truthful journalism in overcoming the fear perpetuated by the current government. Lawyer Ferdi Yaman, highlighted the arrests as part of a broader attempt to suppress press freedom through intimidation and legal harassment.
