Journalists wanted to hold a statement in Şişhane Square in Beyoğlu district of Istanbul on 21 December. Organized by Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association (MKG) and DİSK Basın-İş, the statement was organized to demand justice for journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin who were murdered by the Turkish state while following the developments in Northern and Eastern Syria.

The police attacked the statement supported by many political party and civil society organization representatives and took 59 people into custody.

45 of those detained were released after security procedures, while 14 people were referred to the prosecutor's office. The prosecutor's office referred 5 of the 14 people to the judgeship with a request for judicial control and 9 people with a request for arrest on charges of "making propaganda for an illegal organization" and "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911".

Accused of carrying the photographs of the murdered journalists

The judgeship ruled that 5 of the 14 people be released under judicial control and 9 be arrested. The reason for the arrest was the fact that the 9 people carried photos of journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin.

The names of the arrested journalists are as follows: "Gülistan Dursun, Hayri Tunç, Enes Sezgin from Yeni Yaşam Newspaper, Osman Akın, Can Papila, Pınar Gayıp from Etkin News Agency (Etha), and Şampiyon Birliği Newspaper reporter Serpil Ünal."

Message from the arrested journalists

The arrested journalists sent the following message through their lawyers: "Sultanates and palaces also fall. What remains is the struggle of those who resisted, like Nazım and Cihan. DFG is a press organization, it cannot be criminalized. Journalism is not a crime."