News Center- The Mesopotamia Women Journalists’ Association (Turkish:  Mezopotamya Kadın Gazeteciler Derneği, MKG) has released its November 2024 report on rights violations against women journalists in Türkiye.

Pointing to the ongoing crackdown on women journalists in the country, the report said, “Women journalists face not only the violations of freedom of expression but also gender-based discrimination, violence and threats while doing journalism. Such practices pose a threat to the right to freedom of expression and the right of access to information.”

‘Journalists cannot be silenced’

In November, more women journalists faced detention, house raids threats, ill-treatment and censorship. “In Adıyaman, the house of Jinnews reporter Derya Ren was raided twice. In Batman, Jinnews reporter Pelşin Çetinkaya was subjected to police violence while covering a protest. In Istanbul, journalist Hilal Köylü was forced to stop doing journalism,” the report said, adding:

“On November 27, Roza Metina, president of the Mesopotamia Women Journalists’ Association, journalists Tuğçe Yılmaz, Suzan Demir, Havin Derya, Berfin Atlı and Serap Güneş were detained in the house raids. The detention operations against journalists are an attack on women journalists’ struggle to exist in social life. As the Mesopotamia Women Journalists’ Association, we emphasize once again that we stand with journalists who resist oppression. We call on everyone to stand with women journalists and the free press. Journalists cannot be silenced.”

 According to the report, three women journalists were subjected to attack; the houses of eight women journalists were raided; nine journalists were summoned to testify; four women journalists were subjected to ill-treatment; five women journalists were threatened while doing journalism; three women journalists were prevented from doing journalism, investigations were launched against seven women journalists, and lawsuits were filed against seven journalists; seven women journalists were sentenced to a total of two years, three months and 15 days in prison with a fine of 7,080 Türkish liras; 38 women journalists stood trial.