Six journalists were remanded in custody on Monday in Turkey, accused of “terror organisation membership” over their professional activities. Their lawyer, Elif Taşdöğen, criticised the process, describing it as “a predetermined ruling that disregarded fundamental rights”.
Journalists Necla Demir, Rahime Karvar, Ahmet Güneş, Welat Ekin, Reyhan Hacıoğlu, and Vedat Örüç were detained following a series of coordinated police raids on 17 January in İstanbul, Diyarbakır (Amed), Van (Wan), and Mersin. Their arrests stemmed from their news reporting and participation in media discussions, according to local sources.
The journalists faced a rushed judicial process, with no opportunity to present a defence. “There was no chance for a defence,” said Taşdöğen, representing Karvar. “The court’s approach, dismissing the need for proper questioning and forwarding the case directly to a ruling, exposes the state of our legal system. The decision appears prepared beforehand.”
While four of the journalists were brought to İstanbul Courthouse for their hearings, Hacıoğlu and Örüç participated remotely via a video conferencing system. According to their accounts, police subjected Güneş and Ekin to violence during their transfer, allegedly attempting to force them into submission by pushing their heads downward.
The court cited the journalists’ news reports and discussion programmes as evidence of terrorism links, a claim strongly denied by their lawyer. “These are legitimate journalistic activities protected by freedom of expression,” Taşdöğen stated. Karvar, during her testimony, declared, “I am a feminist journalist covering issues that matter. I regret none of my work and would do it all again.”
Supporters of the detained journalists gathered outside the courthouse, chanting, “Free press cannot be silenced,” and displaying victory signs. The journalists, in messages sent from custody, reiterated their commitment to truthful reporting. “We will continue writing and amplifying voices,” they said.
In a related event, Gülistan Dursun, arrested alongside seven other journalists on 21 December, in Şişhane, İstanbul, for protesting the killing of Kurdish journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin in a Turkish drone strike on 19 December, remains in Marmara (Silivri) Prison. During a call with her lawyer, she revealed that she is facing punitive actions for refusing to concede to the charge of “propaganda for a terror organisation”, imposed by the prison authorities.
In addition to the arrest of 12 Kurdish journalists in Turkey over the past month, five more Kurdish journalists were killed by Turkish drones in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) and northern Syria during 2024.
