Journalists recount being punched, kicked, and handcuffed by the police, despite identifying themselves as press

Location: Turkiye, Istanbul
Date: December 8, 2023

JIN News reporter Elfazi Toral and Democratic Modernity journalist Sema Korkmaz were beaten and detained by police after reporting on a press conference in Istanbul. Korkmaz was released without charge, while Toral has been accused of violating protest law. The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom vehemently condemns police abuse and the dubious charges being leveled against Toral for simply reporting. We demand an immediate investigation into the behavior of police and the dropping of all charges.

“While I was adjusting my camera during Friday's protest, the police came behind me and grabbed my hair. I was both punched and kicked,” reveals Elfazi Toral following her brutal assault by Istanbul police. “I told them many times that I was a journalist, but they didn't pay attention." 

On December 8, 2023, Elfazi Toral and Democratic Modernity journalist Sema Korkmaz were beaten and detained by police while covering a pro-Kurdish party’s press conference in Istanbul. The press event turned violent when police attacked the crowd.

Despite identifying herself as a member of the press, Toral says police punched her, pulled her hair, and made her wait in a detention bus for 5.5 hours. Toral was handcuffed and prevented from calling her lawyer, with the police accusing her of resisting arrest. Threats reportedly continued at the police station. 

Sema Korkmaz says she was also kicked by police before being taken into custody. 

The journalists were attempting to cover a public press conference organized by the People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM). This conference was organized to address police torture suffered by Edanur İbrahimoğlu, the spokesperson for the Youth Council of DEM, who was detained and beaten on December 7, 2023.

While Korkmaz was released without charges after providing a statement to police, Toral was taken to the courthouse and charged with "violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911." Toral was released under judicial control, a legal status allowing a person to leave custody but with certain restrictions and obligations imposed by the court. The charges against her are scheduled to be addressed later this week.

Elif Taşdöğen, a lawyer from the Lawyers for Freedom Association, says the journalists were arbitrarily detained, tortured, and ill-treated. She criticized the ongoing culture of impunity in the country, saying that it emboldens the police to use violence against journalists. The lawyer announced the journalists’ intention to file a complaint against the police and pursue legal action.

Excessive use of police force and the ill-treatment of people in custody are pervasive issues in Turkiye, particularly when it comes to assemblies that express dissent against the government. CFWIJ and Women Press Freedom has documented numerous cases of police aggression toward women journalists.

The Kurdish media and its journalists are disproportionately targeted by Turkish police and the state. CFWIJ’s data from the last four years reveals that a significant majority (60 to 80%) of targeted women journalists in Turkiye are of Kurdish descent.

Since the breakdown of peace talks between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in 2015, the Kurdish political movement has been under intense scrutiny from authorities. Turkiye, along with much of the international community, designates the PKK as a terrorist organization. Kurdish journalists and media outlets are frequently accused by the government and media of being extremist and having ties to the PKK for simply reporting on Kurdish issues or in the Kurdish language. 

Toral works for JIN News, an all-women's news network founded in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish region in 2017. The organization focuses on reporting women's rights issues and aims to expose exploitation and violence faced by women. However, the Turkish government has accused JIN News of engaging in terrorist propaganda. The organization’s journalists have faced arrests, detentions, and accusations of membership in a terrorist organization.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom condemns the assault and detentions of Elfazi Toral and Sema Korkmaz. We demand a thorough and impartial investigation into the police violence and urge the authorities to hold those responsible accountable. We also call on the Istanbul prosecutor to immediately drop all charges against Toral, who has been accused of violating the law for doing her job.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

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