Two journalists from Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast have reportedly been killed by a Turkish drone while covering the fighting between Ankara-backed militia and US-backed Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, Agence France-Presse reported, citing journalists’ groups on Friday.
Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin were killed on Thursday near the Tishrin dam east of Aleppo when their car was hit, the Dicle Fırat Journalists’ Association said.
“We condemn this attack on our colleagues and demand accountability,” the group said, describing the pair as “two valuable journalists” reporting on the violence in northern Syria.
The Turkish Journalists Union also condemned the attack, saying they were “allegedly targeted by a Turkish UAV,” commonly known as a drone.
“We condemn the attack. Journalists cannot be subjected to attack while performing a sacred duty. Those responsible must be found and tried,” the union’s branch in the southeastern Kurdish-majority city of Diyabakır said.
According to the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya news agency, the explosion was caused by a Turkish drone.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also reported two journalists being killed in Aleppo province, saying it was by a “Turkish drone strike.”
The Turkish army insists it never targets civilians but only terrorist groups.
Meanwhile, a protest in the eastern Turkish city of Van over the journalists’ deaths led to the detention of 10 reporters and several politicians, the Dicle Fırat Journalists’ Association said. Police intervened at a planned press statement about the killings, detaining journalists from Mezopotamya, JINNEWS and other outlets.
Those detained included Mezopotamya reporters Ruken Polat, Özlem Yacan, Mazlum Engindeniz and Sema Yüce Polat; Ajansa Welat reporters Bazid Evran and Fırat Tunç; JINNEWS journalist Memihan Zeydan; and independent journalists Zelal Tunç, Oktay Candemir, and Nimet Ölmez.
The Turkish Press, Broadcasting, and Printing Workers’ Union criticized the detentions, writing on social media, “We demand safety for journalists working in conflict zones and the release of our detained colleagues in Van.”