The Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) has strongly condemned the recent Turkish drone strike in the Said Sadiq district of Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî), which killed two Kurdish journalists, Gülistan Tara and Hêro Bahadîn, and left another journalist, Rêbîn Bekir, critically injured.
The vehicle carrying the journalists, belonging to the Çira/Chatra media company, was targeted on Friday while the team was en route to film a documentary in the Iraqi Kurdistan.
KNK described the attack as a deliberate attempt by Turkey to silence Kurdish journalists who are committed to exposing the truth about the ongoing conflict in the region. “This is not just an attack on two journalists; it is an attack on the very essence of press freedom and the right to report the truth,” KNK stated.
In a statement, the KNK urged the international community to take immediate action against Turkey for its continued violations of international law and its targeted attacks on journalists. “The world cannot stand by as Turkey systematically tries to silence those who document the Kurdish struggle. We call on all nations to condemn these actions and hold Turkey accountable.”
Tuncer Bakırhan, Co-Chair of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, also condemned the attack in Sulaymaniyah, referring to the city as a “political assassination centre” under the Turkish government. He criticised the KRG’s silence on these civilian attacks, stating that it paves the way for further political and civil assassinations. Bakırhan called on the Turkish government to immediately cease its policies targeting civilians.
The Free Women’s Press (RAJIN) also commemorated the lives of the slain journalists, vowing to continue their fight for truth. “We will make the struggle of Gulistan and all martyrs of the free press the foundation of our work. Despite all the attacks, pressures, and arrests, the free press will never step back from its mission to be the voice of truth,” RAJIN stated.
