The International Press institute (IPI) on Wednesday called on Turkish authorities to immediately release Kurdish journalist Nedim Oruç, warning that his arrest on terrorism-related charges reflects the continued misuse of counterterrorism laws to silence critical journalism in Turkey.
Oruç, a reporter for the pro-Kurdish Ajansa Welat news agency, was detained on January 14 while covering demonstrations in the Cizre district of Şırnak province, where residents were protesting attacks targeting Kurdish neighborhoods in the Syrian city of Aleppo.
He was later arrested on charges of “disseminating terrorist propaganda,” with prosecutors citing his past coverage of a ceremony in Kandil, Iraq, where the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced on October 26, 2025, its withdrawal from Turkey, as well as his reporting on vandalized graves of PKK militants.
In a statement IPI said that although Oruç was detained while covering a demonstration, he was questioned about his previous reporting on the PKK’s process of laying down its arms, raising concerns that the case against him is in retaliation for his journalistic work.
“IPI stands in solidarity with Oruç and all journalists whose professional work is criminalized in Turkey,” the statement said. “The use of anti-terror laws to target journalists remains a persistent threat to critical media.”
The group urged Turkish authorities to end the practice of arbitrary detentions and ensure that media workers can operate without fear of reprisal.
Oruç’s case comes amid a broader crackdown on independent and Kurdish media in Turkey. According to Expression Interrupted, a press freedom monitoring group, 28 journalists are currently behind bars in Turkey. The country’s deteriorating media landscape was further pointed out in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), where it was ranked 159th out of 180 nations.
