Police break journalist's door, say 'we'll cover expenses'

In a series of police raids on the homes of activists, journalist Özge Kar-Odabaş and Eren Odabaş, the manager of the Gazi Martyrs Cemevi (place of worship for the Alevi community) in İstanbul's Gazi neighborhood, have come under scrutiny. The raids, which took place in the early hours of Friday, occurred while Kar-Odabaş and her family were not at home.

Despite the homeowner's warning, "It's a house with a baby, and they are not home, there's no need to enter," the police forced their way into the house.

The police proceeded to ransack the house but left without taking anything. No explanation was provided to the homeowner or Kar-Odabaş.

Kar-Odabaş expressed her frustration, saying, "We don't know why they raided our home. They didn't inform us about what they were searching for. There are no arrest warrants either."

Due to her health issues, Kar-Odabaş has been staying with her husband's family. She explained the situation further, saying, "Many houses were raided in Gazi on the same day. We learned that our landlord's house, which is close to us, was also targeted. Our landlord told us that the police ordered us to go to the Anti-Terror Branch of the Istanbul Police with the bill for the broken door, and they said, 'We will cover the expenses.' Furthermore, everyone who was detained that day has been released. They told our landlord, 'We are looking for someone.'"

It has been three days since the incident, and the damaged door remains unfixed. Kar-Odabaş expressed concern, saying, "Our door is still broken because I have a 9-month-old baby and health problems. We haven't even had a chance to check our house."

Currently, she is at the hospital for medical treatment. Afterward, she plans to go to the Istanbul Courthouse to meet with a prosecutor. She stated that she doesn't know which prosecutor to speak to because she has no information about the reason behind the house raid.

They have not mentioned any detention orders, and she emphasized, "There's no answer to the question 'Whom are you looking for?' Is breaking into homes the method for searching for someone?"

Kar-Odabaş later learned that Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association (PSAKD) executives Ali Akkurt and Meltem Karagöz, along with eight members, had their homes raided. She also pointed out that simultaneous raids were conducted on the houses of PSAKD members by the Sarıyer branch on October 13, resulting in the detention of many people, including Dursun Çiçek, the manager of a cemevi.

On September 27, PSAKD executives Beyhan Gün and Şimal Deniz were preparing to hold a press statement in front of the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan before the trial of Cuma Erçe, PSAKD's President, and seven others. They were met with police violence, and eight people, including Cuma Erçe, were detained.

About Özge Kar

Özge Kar, a graduate of Istanbul University's Faculty of Communication, Department of Public Relations and Advertising, Class of 2018, has worked as an editor for various news outlets. Her most recent position was at Karar.

She faced consequences at her workplace after she commented "Hadi İnşallah" ("Hopefully") on a social media post announcing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's contraction of COVID-19 in February 2022. This led to her dismissal from Karar, and she has been a frequent target on social media.

Kar also participated in the "Basic Journalism Workshop" at Atölye BIA from December 14 to 28, 2020. (HA/VK)