Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reporter Esra Solin Dal, Yeni Yaşam Newspaper employee Enes Sezgin, Free Press journalists Saliha Aras, Yeşim Alıcı, Beste Argat Balcı, Şirin Ermiş, Erdoğan Alayumat, MA reporter Mehmet Aslan and former MA reporter Doğan Kaynak were taken into custody during house raids in Ankara, Istanbul and Urfa on Tuesday.

In the meantime, the police called the families of the detained journalists and informed them that their detention period had been extended for another 24 hours.

It is understood from the detention report that the journalists were detained due to their professional activities. The report states that the journalists covered press statements, marches and demonstrations and claims that they have "links to an illegal organisation", meaning the PKK.

The detention report cites the statement released by the Democratic Press Union (YRD) on the 22 April Kurdish Journalists' Day, claiming that the statement "guides" journalists.

22 April is the anniversary of the first issue of Kurdistan Newspaper. Mîqdat Mîdhat Bedîrxan and his friends, who were exiled to Cairo, published the first issue of the ‘Kurdistan’ newspaper on 22 April 1898. On this occasion, various celebrations are held by Kurdish journalists every year on 22 April.