Turkey: new wave of arrests targets Kurdish journalism
Turkey: OBC Transeuropa and 26 press freedom and human rights organizations vehemently condemn the arrest of three Kurdish journalists last week and the alarming surge in harassment of Kurdish journalists.
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On April 23, authorities of Turkey carried out a raid targeting Kurdish journalists in Istanbul, Ankara and ลanlฤฑurfa, and took nine media professionals into custody. They were denied access to their lawyers for 24 hours. The following day, the detention period was extended by another 24 hours. After giving their statements and appearing in court, journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoฤan Alayumat were arrested on April 27, accused of โmembership in a terrorist organizationโ.
The Mapping Media Freedom database records 43 alerts impacting 118 Kurdish journalists, media workers or outlets since 2022. The alerts are mostly instances of legal harassment that often result in arrest and imprisonment.
We call upon the authorities of Turkey to uphold their commitment to press freedom and release the detained journalists immediately.
Full press release (English)
