The Coalition of Women in Journalism has condemned the detention of several journalists in recent coordinated raids conducted across Turkey.
The Coalition called for the immediate release of all detained journalists and urged the international community to pressure the Turkish government to halt what they described as “a systematic assault on press freedom,” particularly the targeting of Kurdish journalists.
“Silencing the press is silencing the truth,” the group said.
Turkish authorities detained 231 individuals allegedly linked to terrorist organizations as part of a series of coordinated raids across 30 provinces on Monday. Journalists were among those detained.
Authorities have accused the detainees of conducting political and media activities on behalf of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), the Democratic Union Party (PYD) or the People’s Defense Units (YPG); financing terrorism; spreading propaganda on social media and participating in illegal protests causing damage to public property. Officials also reported confiscating unlicensed firearms, hunting rifles, blank-firing guns and digital material.
The PKK has been designated a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies. It has conducted an armed insurgency since the 1980s, advocating for Kurdish rights and autonomy. The KCK is an umbrella group associated with the PKK, overseeing its political and military structures. The PYD is the PKK’s Syrian affiliate, while the YPG serves as its armed wing and has been a key player in the Syrian civil war. Turkish authorities have long targeted these groups in domestic and cross-border operations.
The list of journalists includes Erdoğan Roza Metina, Alayumat, Suzan Demir, Tuğçe Yılmaz, Bilge Aksu, Ahmet Sünbül, Roza Metina (president of the Mesopotamian Women Journalists Association), Bilal Seçkin, Mehmet Ücar and Suzan Demir. Others detained include translator-director Ardin Diren, cartoonist Doğan Güzel, poet and writer Hicri İzgören, translator and writer Ömer Barasi and publishing coordinator Baver Yoldaş.
Authorities have imposed strict measures on those detained, including a ban on lawyer access and a confidentiality order on the cases, preventing disclosure of the reasons for the detentions. Legal representatives are preparing to challenge these restrictions and demand transparency.
Turkey has faced criticism from international human rights organizations for its treatment of journalists, particularly those affiliated with pro-Kurdish or opposition outlets. Since a failed coup attempt in 2016, the government has intensified its crackdown on media freedoms, often citing terrorism charges to detain reporters and close news organizations.
