Dozens of journalists are spending Eid al-Fitr behind bars again this year. According to the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and the Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association (MKG), at least 42 media professionals, including ten women, are currently in prison in Turkey.

Repression against critical reporting continues to increase in Turkey. Particularly in connection with the protests against the Turkish authorities' operation against the Istanbul municipality and the arrest of the mayor Ekrem Imamoğlu, numerous journalists were targeted by the security forces. Between March 19 and 23, 13 journalists' apartments were raided, 12 media workers were temporarily detained, and seven of them were jailed. They were released after legal objections.

Roza Metina, chairwoman of the MGK, criticized the ongoing attacks on press freedom. She referred in particular to the case of Öznur Değer, the editor-in-chief of the all-female Jin News agency, who was arrested in February after a house search. Her trial is scheduled to begin on May 22.

“For years, the AKP government has used the judiciary as a means of repression against the free press,” said Metina. “They want to silence journalists and prevent them from doing their independent work. But our strongest form of resistance is to continue working with pen and camera.”

“Behind bars instead of on the streets”

Metina emphasized that many female colleagues in particular are spending Eid in prison: “They should be out there, with camera in hand, working as journalists in a free environment. According to our monthly report from February, ten women are currently unlawfully detained because of their work. They are behind bars because they have made corruption, injustice and oppression public.”

The only way to counter this development is to organize more within the journalism: “Recently, colleagues were beaten and arrested during protests against the repression in Istanbul. Those who previously remained silent about the attacks on Kurdish press representatives are now themselves becoming targets of state violence. Therefore, we must stand together in solidarity and unwaveringly uphold the truth. We demand freedom for all imprisoned journalists.”

Turkey: Prison for media professionals

According to international press freedom rankings, Turkey is regularly among the countries with the most imprisoned journalists worldwide. Kurdish and government-critical media are particularly affected. Human rights organizations such as Reporters Without Borders have been criticizing the restriction of freedom of expression and freedom of the press in the country for years.