Two Journalists Arrested in Turkey, Critical Publications on Syria Prohibited

On October 10, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office released a statement indicating that critical publications regarding the military operations initiated by the Turkish Armed Forces in northern Syria starting October 9 are prohibited.

The statement noted that any individual or individuals who aim to undermine Turkey's social and domestic peace, unity, and security through news articles, broadcasts, or social media accounts will be prosecuted according to Turkey's penal code and anti-corruption legislation. This was stated in a release from the international organization 'Committee to Protect Journalists'.

There have already been two recorded incidents of journalists being arrested. First, Hakan Demir, a reporter for the leftist BirGün newspaper, was detained on the grounds that he had tweeted from the newspaper's Twitter account that Turkey had attacked Syria. He was released by the court, placed on probation, and prohibited from leaving the country.

Police also arrested Fatih Gökan, the news editor of Diken news site, for quoting a spokesperson for the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is led by Kurds. He too was released by the court with restrictions on leaving the country.

None of the journalists have been formally charged, but their conditional release indicates that the investigation will continue. A total of 78 people are being criminally prosecuted regarding publications about the attack on Syria by the Turkish Directorate for Security.

The 'Committee to Protect Journalists' condemned the actions of Turkey, stating that the authorities should cease pursuing and monitoring journalists and media outlets covering Turkey's military incursion.

It is noteworthy that on October 9, the Turkish Armed Forces launched a large-scale military operation in northern Syria against the Kurds. Several areas with Armenian populations have also come under fire.