The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Turkish authorities to conduct an urgent investigation into a suspected drone strike on Friday that killed two journalists and injured another in Iraqi Kurdistan. The incident, which took place in the Said Sadiq district of Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî) province on Friday, has intensified concerns over the safety of media professionals in conflict areas.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic August 23 drone strike that killed two journalists and injured a third in Iraqi Kurdistan,” said Yeganeh Rezaian, CPJ’s interim MENA program coordinator, in Washington, D.C. She added, “Turkish authorities should swiftly investigate this attack and determine if the reporting team was targeted for their work.”
The attack resulted in the deaths of Gülistan Tara, a 40-year-old Kurdish journalist from Turkey, and Hero Bahadin, a 27-year-old Iraqi-Kurdish video editor, both of whom were working for Chatr Multimedia Production Company. The third journalist, Rebin Bakir, sustained serious injuries but is currently in a stable condition. The CPJ has underscored that the safety of journalists must be upheld, even in regions of conflict where media workers often face heightened risks.
The strike occurred amid Turkey’s ongoing military operations in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, ostensibly targeting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), but extending into areas where the PKK has little to no presence. The targeting of a civilian vehicle carrying journalists has therefore raised serious concerns about the indiscriminate nature of such attacks and the potential targeting of media workers.
CPJ’s statement follows increasing calls from both local and international media organisations for stronger protections for journalists in conflict zones. The organisation’s demand for a thorough investigation by Turkish authorities highlights the need for accountability and the protection of press freedom, particularly in areas where journalists face significant threats to their safety.
The recent drone strike in Iraqi Kurdistan that killed two journalists is part of a troubling pattern of Turkey targeting Kurdish media workers. Earlier this year, on 8 July, another journalist, Murad Mirza Ibrahim, was killed in a drone strike attributed to Turkish forces.
In November 2023, Delila Agit, a reporter for the women-led Kurdish television station Jin TV, was severely injured in a Turkish drone strike in northeastern Syria, which also killed her driver. Earlier, in October 2022, feminist Kurdish journalist and academic Nagihan Akarsel was shot and killed near her home in Sulaymaniyah.
