Leading Press Organizations Issue Joint Call for Release of Detained Journalists in Turkey

Fifteen leading national and international press organizations issued a joint call today for the immediate release of four journalists who have been detained, warning the public about “an alarming trend” of targeting reporters in Turkey.

The journalists were taken into custody as part of an operation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office targeting the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK). Those detained include Yıldız Tar, editor-in-chief of Kaos GL; freelance journalist Elif Akgül; İlke TV presenter Ercüment Akdeniz; and journalist Ender İmrek, along with several artists and political figures.

Fifteen press organizations, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), and the International Press Institute (IPI), characterized the detentions as “a clear attack on press freedom and the public’s right to information.”

According to the joint statement, the detained journalists have been denied access to their lawyers, and information about the investigation has been withheld under a “confidentiality order.”

The organizations noted a concerning trend in press freedom violations, reporting that 18 journalists were detained in January, with nine subsequently arrested. In the first two weeks of February, six additional journalists were detained while covering protests in Van where the government replaced elected mayors with politically appointed trustees.

“The government has a duty to ensure that journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society can work freely, without fear of intimidation or repression,” the press organizations emphasized in their statement. “Journalism is not a crime, and no amount of pressure or harassment can silence the truth.”

Here is the statement:

As press freedom and human rights organizations, we strongly condemn the detention of four journalists on February 18, 2025, and demand their immediate release.

On the morning of February 18, during an operation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office targeting the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK), several artists and politicians were taken into custody alongside journalists Yıldız Tar (Editor-in-Chief, Kaos GL), independent journalist Elif Akgül, İlke TV presenter Ercüment Akdeniz, and journalist Ender İmrek.

Journalists who regularly report from courthouses and stand in solidarity with their prosecuted colleagues were detained in raids instead of being summoned for testimony—a clear attack on press freedom and the public’s right to information.

Their lawyers have been denied access, and the investigation has been placed under a confidentiality order, blocking legal representatives from obtaining any details.

The authorities’ refusal to provide information about the detentions and the operation itself is yet another sign of the growing crackdown on press freedom and independent journalism.

This is part of an alarming trend: In January, 18 journalists were detained, nine of whom were arrested. Just in the first two weeks of February, six journalists covering the trustee protests in Van were detained.

The journalists detained in this investigation have long been at the forefront of the fight for press freedom and free expression. They are simply doing their jobs—keeping the public informed.

The government has a duty to ensure that journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society can work freely, without fear of intimidation or repression.

Journalism is not a crime, and no amount of pressure or harassment can silence the truth.

We call for an immediate end to this attack on press freedom and demand the unconditional release of Yıldız Tar, Elif Akgül, Ercüment Akdeniz, and Ender İmrek!

Here are the signatories of the joint call: