At least 42 journalists, including 10 women, remain behind bars in Turkey as the country continues its crackdown on the press, according to figures from the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and the Mezopotamya Women Journalists Association (MKG).
The arrests follow an escalation in pressure on journalists covering protests and political events. Between 19 and 23 March, police raided the homes of 13 journalists, detaining 12 at the station, seven of whom were remanded in custody. The arrests targeted those reporting on protests against the government’s crackdown on İstanbul Municipality and its arrest of the city’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, along with hundreds of municipal officials. Although the detained journalists were released after appeals by lawyers, the arrests reflect a broader pattern of repression.
MKG chair Roza Metina condemned the increasing pressure on journalists, particularly Kurdish journalists. She highlighted the case of Öznur Değer, a journalist from all-female Kurdish news agency JINNEWS, who was arrested following a raid on her home on 7 February and is due to appear in court on 22 May.
“The government wants journalists to retreat, to stop reporting freely. But our best response is to continue our work—to keep writing and filming,” Metina said. She called for greater solidarity among journalists and warned that repression, once targeting mainly Kurdish journalists, is now affecting a wider spectrum of the press.
Metina also noted that 10 female journalists remain imprisoned, many for reporting on corruption and human rights abuses. She urged media professionals to stand together against government oppression, saying that a key demand is still “freedom for all imprisoned journalists”.
