Press and journalist associations worldwide demanded clarification and investigation into the causes and circumstances of the Turkish drone strike that killed two Kurdish journalists near Kobani (Kobanê) in northeastern Syria on Thursday.
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) General Secretary Anthony Bellanger expressed shock at the targeted killing of Nazim Daştan and Cîhan Bilgin by a Turkish drone, condemning the attack and calling for accountability. “On behalf of the IJF, I call on the new political authorities in Syria to carry out an independent investigation into these murders, and I urge the courts to find and convict the perpetrators of these crimes […] Their families and colleagues have a right to know the truth and we, as the IFJ and the global community, have a duty to give them justice.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPT) highlighted the seriousness of the attack, calling for an investigation into whether the journalists were targeted because of their work. “Journalists are civilians and must be protected at all times,” said CPJ Advocacy and Communications Director Gypsy Guillén Kaiser, adding that those responsible must be held accountable.
CPJ has spoken with the director of the Hawar News Agency (ANHA), where Cîhan Bilgin worked. During the call, the ANHA director told CPJ that the vehicle carrying the two journalists was clearly marked as a press vehicle, but was hit anyway in defiance of international law.
The world-renowned NGO PEN International, through its Middle East and North Africa (MENA) branch, also condemned the killing in a tweet on X. PEN MENA called for an immediate investigation by Turkey and for those responsible to be held accountable. The Catalan branch of PEN also called for an investigation.
