The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has reported that 122 journalists and media workers, including 14 women, were killed in 2024, highlighting escalating global threats to press freedom. Among the victims were five Kurdish journalists killed in Turkish drone strikes across Iraq and Syria, further intensifying concerns over Ankara’s crackdown on Kurdish media voices.
The deaths of the Kurdish journalists occurred in separate incidents linked to Turkish military attacks. On 23 August, Sterk TV reporters Hêro Bahadîn and Gulistan Tara were killed when a Turkish drone struck their vehicle near Sulaymaniyah in Iraqi Kurdistan. Earlier, on 11 July, Çira TV journalist Murad Mirza died in Sinjar (Şengal) following a targeted airstrike. Manbij (Minbîc) in Syria witnessed another deadly attack on 19 December, claiming the lives of Nazım Daştan and Cîhan Bilgin, who were reporting on clashes between Ankara-backed militias and US-backed Kurdish forces.
The IFJ report sheds light on the broader risks journalists face globally, with 516 media professionals imprisoned in 2024, reflecting a sharp rise from previous years. The IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger condemned the killings, saying, “Behind this high figure, there are 122 truncated stories. To guarantee that the deaths of journalists do not go unpunished, we urge UN Member States to adopt a binding Convention on the safety of journalists.”
The Middle East emerged as the most perilous region for journalists, recording 77 deaths. Palestinian journalists bore the heaviest toll, with 64 killed in the ongoing war in Gaza. Meanwhile, deaths were also reported in Asia-Pacific (22), Africa (10), the Americas (9), and Europe (4), with war and political unrest being primary contributors.
Turkey’s actions, have drawn sharp criticism both domestically and internationally, with observers highlighting its pattern of targeting Kurdish media workers and imprisoning journalists. These developments underline the urgent need for stronger international mechanisms to safeguard press freedom.
