Amnesty International condemned Turkey’s suppression of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in response to public reaction to the recent deaths of two Kurdish journalists, reportedly in a drone strike, in northern Syria, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported.
In a statement released on Thursday, the human rights watchdog called on Turkish authorities to end what it describes as a crackdown on peaceful dissent and to ensure compliance with international human rights obligations.
The statement said that the Turkish authorities must stop weaponizing the criminal justice system against peaceful dissent and drop ongoing investigations targeting journalists and others for exercising their rights and discharging their professional duties.
Protests occurred in Turkey after the deaths of journalists Cihan Bilgin and Nazım Daştan on December 19, 2024. The two journalists from Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast were killed, reportedly targeted in a Turkish drone strike, while covering fighting between members of an Ankara-backed militia group and US-supported Kurdish fighters outside Aleppo.
Authorities responded by banning or limiting demonstrations, detaining protesters and launching criminal investigations against participants and others, including journalists, lawyers, and media organizations.
On December 20, at least 55 people, including 10 journalists, were detained in protests in eastern Turkey. They were released later that day.
The following day, December 21, police in Istanbul prevented protesters from reading a press statement and detained a total of 59 people in three police interventions. Of those detained, 14 were referred to prosecutors, and by December 22, nine individuals — including seven journalists — were remanded to pre-trial detention on charges of “disseminating terrorist propaganda” for displaying photos of the slain journalists.
Amnesty observers reported the use of excessive force by law enforcement, including handcuffing protesters with cable ties and pressing their faces against detention buses.
Female journalists have also alleged that strip-searches and other ill-treatment occurred during detention, prompting further criticism of the authorities.
Amnesty International urged Turkish authorities to immediately release those detained solely for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The organization also called for authorities to “promptly, thoroughly, independently, impartially, transparently and effectively investigate the allegations of human rights violations and other actions of the law enforcement officials on journalists and other protesters.”
Authorities justified the protest bans and detentions under Article 17 of the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations and Article 32/c of the Law on Provincial Administration, citing concerns about public order and security. Critics, however, argue the restrictions were disproportionate and aimed at stifling dissent.
Turkey’s crackdown extended to media outlets and legal groups. The Istanbul Bar Association faces a criminal investigation after calling for an inquiry into the journalists’ deaths and demanding the release of detained protesters. News outlet T24 and journalist Seyhan Avşar are also under investigation for reports and social media posts related to the deaths.
“The crackdown against lawyers, journalists and protesters amounts to a misuse of the criminal justice system to intimidate, harass and silence peaceful dissent and as such, is in violation of Türkiye’s obligations under international human rights law,” the statement said.