Turkish police arrested 21 Kurdish journalists and media workers in a massive operation in the Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Diyarbakir on terrorism charges. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its Turkish affiliates strongly condemn these massive arrests of journalists on groundless charges and urges for the immediate release of all of them.
Colleagues of 20 detained journalists say they believe their arrests are tied to Turkey’s planned military operation against Syrian Kurdish militants.
Press freedom advocates say police are exploiting anti-terror laws to round-up journalists before upcoming elections and a possible military operation in northern