The Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association (MKG) published the 'January 2024 Report on Rights Violations against Women Journalists'.

The report said that the Turkish state resorted to many violent incidents against female journalists in 2024, adding that the rights of female journalists were violated and they were prevented from carrying out their profession various times and in different ways in the first month of 2024. “The cases in which female journalists were tried continued this month as well. Like many female journalists, Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) co-chair Dicle Müftüoğlu is on trial and was not released at her second hearing on 18 January. In this country where journalistic activities are considered a crime, the struggle of female journalists who do not bow to injustice continues."

The report said that 9 female journalists were arrested in the country because they wanted to practice their profession, and added: "Female journalists who follow the news are exposed to all kinds of threats. To give an example of these threats, insulting messages were sent to journalist Medine Mamedoğlu through her social media account due to her news. No one can violate the right of journalists to make news, expose the truth and inform the public by threatening, putting pressure on the journalist and arresting her. It is essential that solidarity and the spirit of unity come to the fore in order to end these attacks against journalists and journalism. Because journalism is not a crime.”

The report also said: "In January, when journalists were put under the jurisdiction's grip, 18 cases filed regarding 'freedom of expression' were heard. On 10 January, Working Journalists' Day, journalists were forced to defend journalism in courts due to lawsuits filed against them. One journalist was sentenced to one year and 8 months in prison, one journalist was detained, and a lawsuit was filed against one journalist. One journalist was threatened. Six female journalists, who went on strike against dismissal and whose protests continue, were called to the police for a statement. Access to 24 news and 219 social media content was blocked. Access to the website of the Kurdish newspaper Xwebûn, published in the country, was also blocked.”

Women journalists in prison

Derya Ren - JINNEWS Reporter

Dicle Müftüoğlu - Co-President of Dicle Fırat Journalists Association

Dilan Oyunş – Azadiya Welat newspaper employee

Elif Ersoy – Walking Magazine Editor-in-Chief

Hatice Duman – Owner and Editor-in-Chief of Atılım Newspaper

Özden Kınık – TRT employee

Özlem Seyhan – Journalist

Tülay Canpolat – Sabah Newspaper Ankara Reporter

Bircan Yıldırım – Editor-in-chief of BircanTVHaber

Journalists who were released from prison in January: Nazlı Ilıcak, Sibel Mustafaoğlu."

A total of 53 journalists in prison 

The journalists' association Dicle-Firat (DFG) has published a report in Amed on the violation of press freedom in Turkey. The report for the first month of 2024 said: “Seven journalists were released from prison in January, bringing the number of imprisoned media workers in Turkey to 53. However, the investigations, charges and convictions of journalists have not slowed down. Arrests, arrests, rights violations, repression and bans against our colleagues were also on the agenda in the first month of the year.”