In Diyarbakir, a Kurdish-majority south-eastern province of Turkey, 20 journalists who were working in various media outlets such as Dicle Firat Journalists Association (DFG), Mesopotamia News Agency and Jin News have been under arrest since 8 June. No official charges have been pressed.
Erol Onderoglu, the Turkey representative for Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said that “As the RSF, we are astonished at the extensity of an investigation based on ‘terrorist propaganda’ targeting of so many media workers. Evidence must be disclosed as soon as possible by the law.”
Gulnoza Said, Program Coordinator of Europe and Central Asia program of Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) also commented on the crackdown on the Kurdish journalists and said that “Turkish authorities arbitrary detention of journalists (…) marks another dark day for the press in the country. Authorities should be ashamed of their raids on newsrooms and journalists’ homes. The journalists targeted for detention should be released immediately and without charge.”
The criminalisation of journalism is unacceptable. SPOT stands in solidarity with the journalists who are under attack in Turkey.
