Journalist jailed for alleged “membership in a terrorist organization”

Location: Turkiye, Sirnak
Date: February 9, 2024

Following a raid on her home, journalist Selamet Turan was apprehended by police in Sirnak and held in custody for nearly four days without clarity on the grounds for her detention. It later emerged that Turan is being accused of "membership of a terrorist organization," a charge commonly used by Turkish authorities to target journalists who criticize the government, especially those associated with Kurdish news outlets. The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom strongly condemns Turan's arrest, asserting the charges as unfounded and demanding her immediate release.

On February 9, 2024, police conducted a dawn raid on the home of journalist Selamet Turan in Sirnak. After the search, she was detained. According to reports, the journalist was taken to the Sirnak Police Department.

Three days later, a Diyarbakır court decided to arrest and jail Turan, pending a trial. The journalist was reportedly charged with “membership in a terrorist organization.”

Arbitrary detentions of journalists are a tool of oppression frequently used to target journalists in Turkiye. On the day authorities targeted Turan, journalist Kibriye Evren was detained in Kocaeli. Renowned Kurdish journalist Dicle Müftüoğlu has been languishing in pretrial detention since May 2023; despite repeated hearings, she has been kept behind bars. The fear of detention and legal persecution has a chilling effect, leading to self-censorship among journalists, and impacting their ability to investigate, report on, or express opinions about sensitive topics. These detentions not only violate those detained but also contribute to a wider atmosphere of media self-censorship.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom denounces Selamet Turan’s arrest and detention. We demand, at the very minimum, that she is released from detention while her trial is pending. Trials in Turkiye often take months and are marred by postponements, further persecuting those wrongfully held in its jails. We urge the Diyarbakır prosecutor to cease criminalizing journalists and call on the court to drop all charges against Selamet Turan.

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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