Turkish authorities arrest 7 journalists protesting colleagues' murder in Syria
Seven journalists were arrested following their detention during a protest in Istanbul held in memory of journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin, who were killed in Syria.
Duvar English
Nine individuals, including seven journalists, on Dec. 22 were arrested following a protest in Istanbul organized in memory of journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin, who were killed in Syria.
The demonstration was led by the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), the Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform (MKG), and the Press Workers' Union of Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK).
Among those detained during the protest in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district were journalists Gülistan Dursun, Hayri Tunç, Enes Sezgin, Osman Akın, Can Papila, Pınar Gayıp, and Serpil Ünal, who were subsequently arrested.
According to the DİSK’s press statement, five other journalists were released under judicial control measures.
Öldürülen gazeteciler Nazım Daştan ve Cihan Bilgin için dün Şişhane’de açıklama yapmak isterken gözaltına alınıp bugün Çağlayan Adliyesi'ne getirilen 7’si gazeteci 9 kişi tutuklandı.
— DİSK Basın-İş (@diskbasinis) December 22, 2024
Aralarında üyemiz Gülistan Dursun’un da bulunduğu gazeteciler Pınar Gayıp, Serpil Ünal, Hayri… pic.twitter.com/EVaInTGciY
"Our duty as journalists is to deliver the truth to the public. Holding a press statement is not a crime. Attacks on freedom of expression are unacceptable. We condemn all forms of attacks and pressure targeting journalists and journalism," the statement read.
Journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin were killed in a Dec. 19 armed drone strike allegedly carried out by Turkey in northern Syria, according to reporting by the Mesopotamia Agency (MA).
The journalists had been covering developments in North and East Syria, and were driving on the road between the Tishrin Dam and the town of Sirîn, located 90 kilometers east of Aleppo along the Euphrates River at the time of the strike.
Turkish authorities did not allow protestors who had gathered to commemorate the murdered journalists across the country and detained many.