Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into two Kurdish journalists over their subscription to a legally published pro-Kurdish magazine and payments made to its bank account, the Yeni Yaşam daily reported.
The Tekirdağ Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office opened the probe into journalists Selman Çiçek and Hülya Baytur after they transferred subscription fees to the bank account of the Demokratik Modernite (Democratic Modernity) magazine.
Çiçek, co-chair of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), and Baytur were questioned at the Diyarbakır Police Department as part of the investigation.
In his statement Çiçek said Demokratik Modernite continues to be legally published under Turkey’s Press Law and that paying a subscription fee to a lawful publication cannot constitute a criminal offense.
Founded in 2012, Demokratik Modernite is a quarterly magazine that publishes articles on Kurdish politics and society and the political thought of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984 but said in May 2025 it would disband and end its armed campaign.
In a separate case former Demokratik Modernite editor-in-chief Ramazan Yurttapan, editor Haydar Ergül and three contributors are standing trial at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on accusations of insulting the president in published articles. The next hearing is scheduled for December 3, 2026.
Turkey frequently brings terrorism-related charges against journalists and media workers, most commonly alleging links to the PKK. The prosecutions have affected reporters covering the Kurdish issue, a reference to the demand for equal rights by the country’s Kurdish population and their struggle for recognition.
