‘At least 8 women journalists subjected to violence in Turkey in August’

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Throughout August 2021, the Coalition For Women in Journalism (CFWIJ) documented 27 cases of violations against women journalists.

Listing these violations, the CFWIJ's monthly report includes various forms of violations such as detentions, legal harassment and physical assaults in the field, among other various kinds of press freedom attacks towards women journalists reporting from different parts of the world.

While at least five women journalists were detained in Azerbaijan, Belarus and Turkey in August, four women reporters were physically attacked in the field in Afghanistan and Canada. At least three women journalists were physically assaulted while following protests in Greece and Turkey.

Sharing details about the violations faced by women journalists, the CFWIJ has underlined that "Turkey was the leading country with the most cases in August." According to the report of the organization, at least eight women reporters were subjected to violence in the country.

Currently occupied by the Taliban, Afghanistan followed Turkey with at least five cases against women journalists. Three women reporters were threatened and subjected to violence in Azerbaijan.

Violations against women journalists in Turkey

Some details from Turkey are as follows:

• Journalist Büşra Taşkıran was physically assaulted by the police while following a women's protest.
• Journalists Büşra Taşkıran and Seda Taşkın were physically attacked and barred by the police from covering the racist attacks against refugees in Ankara.
• Jin news reporter Beritan Canözer was detained on August 13 after the police raided her home.
• Journalists Dilek Gül and Gülşah İnce, who were covering wildfires in Turkey, faced an accreditation barrier by the security forces.
• Jin News reporter Hikmet Tunç was sentenced to eight months and 22 days in prison as a result of the trial against her over her coverage. She was penalized for insulting Harun Yücel, the trustee appointed to Muradiye Municipality.
• A man accused of child abuse lodged a police complaint against bianet editor Evrim Kepenek for covering his case.
• BirGün Newspaper reporter Sarya Toprak's work was impeded upon by the ministry of Environment and Urbanization. The reporter was filming areas and citizens affected by the recent wildfire but was prevented from doing so by the minister.

Report on the situation in Afghanistan

The CFWIJ has also aided and assisted women journalists in Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. It has also released a detailed report on the situation titled "Women Journalists Face Dangerous Uncertainty as the Taliban Takeover Threatens Press Freedom." (EMK/SD)