The Coalition for Women in Journalism (CFWIJ), also known as Women Press Freedom, condemns the Turkish drone strike that killed Kurdish journalists Nazim Daştan and Cîhan Bilgin on the outskirts of Kobani (Kobanê), Northeast Syria, while they were returning from reporting at the Tishreen Dam, where fierce clashes are taking place between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the Turkish army and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA), as part of Turkey’s attempt to invade the city, which is well known for its historic resistance to ISIS.
#Syria: Women Press Freedom is outraged by the Turkish drone strike that killed journalists #JihanBelki and #NazimDashdam near the Tishrin Dam, on the outskirts of Kobani. They were reporting on attacks on the dam when, according to local human rights groups, their vehicle was… pic.twitter.com/y7YmLBsLol
— #WomenInJournalism (@CFWIJ) December 20, 2024
In the statement, CFWIJ declared that they were “outraged by the Turkish drone strike” that killed the two journalists. They stated that “according to local human rights groups, the vehicle of the two Kurdish journalists was “directly” targeted and the driver was also injured in the strike.”
The Coalition stated that this attack comes “amid escalating Turkish attacks in northern and eastern Syria” and highlighted that Bilgin is “the third woman journalist killed by a Turkish drone strike this year, following the deaths of Gulistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn in Iraq in August [2024].”
“We strongly condemn this attack and demand an immediate, independent investigation to determine if these journalists were deliberately hit,” CFWIJ continued. The statement emphasised that the attack constituted “purposeful targeting” of the “press in a conflict zone [which] constitutes a war crime”, and that the Turkish state must be held accountable “for the growing number of Kurdish journalists killed and injured by its drone strikes.”
The CFWIJ ended their statement by saying that they “extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, colleagues and loved ones” of Cîhan and Nazim.
