Two reporters were arrested in Istanbul as part of the recent detention of media personnel documenting Turkey’s biggest demonstrations in over ten years, according to their respective news organizations.
Elif Bayburt, employed by the Etkin News Agency, along with Nisa Suda Demirel from the Evrensel news site, were detained during dawn operations. These raids also led to the arrest of several political activists and labor union members by law enforcement.
“According to a statement made by Evrensel, their correspondent, Nisa Sude Demirel, was apprehended by law enforcement officers who arrived at her residence shortly after 6 AM today,” the report read.
Demonstrations and university boycotts were being closely monitored by Demirel, who subsequently found himself detained at the Istanbul Police Department’s Anti-Terror Brigade headquarters.
The international press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) denounced the arrests.
“There is no limit to the imprisonments of reporters,” stated Erol Onderoğlu, their representative in Turkey.
The Turkish Journalists’ Union (TGS) has urged for permission to allow the press to carry out their duties and called for an end to these illegal arrests.
Earlier this week, eleven reporters were arrested during early morning operations.
Even though they were originally imprisoned awaiting trial, they were released on Thursday yet continue to be charged with “participating in unauthorized protests and demonstrations.”
On Thursday, Turkey’s media regulatory body imposed a 10-day broadcast suspension on Sozcu TV along with penalties and programming restrictions on several channels aligned with opposing political factions.
A journalist from the United Kingdom’s publicly funded broadcaster, the BBC, was expelled on Thursday as well.
İmamoğlu arrest sparks furore
Large-scale protests erupted the previous week after Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu from the opposition party CHP—which counts him among its prominent figures—was detained. He is considered a significant adversary to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
nightly gatherings in Istanbul organized by the CHP concluded on Tuesday, whereas demonstrations in various other cities have persisted mostly peacefully.
Nevertheless, police forces have employed tear gas, water cannons, and plastic bullets to quell protests that were prohibited in cities such as Istanbul, Ankara, and İzmir.
Imamoğlu was detained awaiting trial on corruption charges that numerous people view as politically motivated.
The authorities maintain that the judicial system operates independently and remains untouched by political influence.
Judicial systems throughout Turkey are handling an increase in case load due to the demonstrations.
The Interior Minister, Ali Yerlikaya, stated that approximately 1,900 individuals have been detained since March 19th.
