As the parliamentary and presidential elections of May 14 draw near, persecution of news outlets and journalists, specifically those with Kurdish links, continues.
Sedat Yılmaz, writer and editor for Mesopotamian Agency (MA) and Bia Children’s book, as well as his spouse Selma Yılmaz, were taken into custody on April 29 in the southeastern city of Diyarbakır. Additionally, Dicle Müftüoğlu, MA Editor and Co-Chair of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) was also detained.
Mesopotamian Agency covers news and events relating to the Kurdish population and other minorities in Turkey. The agency’s journalists are frequently subjected to arrests and detentions. The Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) defends press freedom and the rights of journalists, particularly those who work in Turkey’s southeastern regions.
Physical violence
Yılmaz and Müftüoğlu have been apprehended as part of an investigation launched by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, with warrants issued against 49 individuals across 15 provinces on April 29. After their detainment, the journalists were transferred to Turkey’s capital by bus.
According to the MA Agency, Yılmaz and Müftüoğlu were handcuffed throughout the 15-hour drive and were not provided with any food for 24 hours. Reportedly, Yılmaz was subject to physical violence during the journey, including being kicked in the head, causing him to experience hearing loss and severe pain in his ear.
Source: bianet