Turkish police detained 30 people, including 20 journalists, during a protest in İstanbul on Saturday against the killing of two Kurdish journalists in a reported Turkish drone strike in northern Syria, the Bianet news website reported.
The protest, organized by the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association, the Mezopotamya Women Journalists Association and the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey Press Union (DİSK Basın-İş), took place in İstanbul’s Şişhane Square. Protesters condemned the deaths of Nazım Daştan, 32, and Cihan Bilgin, 29, who were killed Thursday near the Tishrin Dam, east of Aleppo, while covering clashes between Ankara-backed forces and US-supported Kurdish fighters.
Police intervened as protesters attempted to read a statement to the press. Officers removed journalists covering the event from the area and some were detained, according to eyewitnesses.
DİSK Basın-İş called for the immediate release of the detainees, stating on social media, “Our colleagues who gathered in Şişhane Square to protest the killing of journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin have been detained. We demand their immediate release.”
The journalists’ deaths have drawn widespread condemnation. The Dicle Fırat Journalists Association and other media organizations demanded accountability, alleging that a Turkish drone targeted Daştan and Bilgin, who worked for Syrian Kurdish media outlets Rojnews and Anha. The Turkish Journalists Union also criticized the attack, calling it a violation of journalists’ safety and a threat to press freedom.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also attributed the strike to a Turkish drone, echoing reports from the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya news agency. However, the Turkish military denies targeting civilians, stating its operations are solely against “terrorist groups.”
The incident has intensified concerns about Turkey’s actions in northern Syria, where it has been targeting Kurdish-held areas amid escalating tensions following the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Turkish officials have hinted at possible military action in the region, claiming the presence of Kurdish fighters near its borders poses a threat.
In a related protest in Van, in eastern Turkey, police detained 55 people, including 10 journalists, during a demonstration over the reporters’ deaths.