Turkish Raid Detains Four Journalists Amid Publication Ban

June 13, 2025 – Turkey – 

Turkish police conducted early-morning raids targeting four journalists, detaining them in operations spanning Istanbul and Artvin, amid an opaque inquiry shrouded by a publication ban.

The journalists—Semra Balık, Dicle Baştürk, Ozan Gerik, and Melisa Efe—were arrested following coordinated home searches. Balık and Gerik were based in Istanbul and taken to the Gendarmerie Command in Maslak; the locations for Baştürk and Efe, reportedly operating in Artvin, remain less clear publicly. Authorities have neither disclosed the charges nor the issuing body behind the arrests due to the gag order in place.

The Stockholm Center for Freedom, citing T24, confirms a wider pattern of media suppression, noting these detentions mark yet another escalation in government pressure on dissenting voices. Significantly, a similar crackdown in January led to raids across Istanbul and Van, with multiple journalists arrested and their equipment seized, underscoring continuing intimidation tactics.

Turkey has a recent history of suppressing journalists under broad anti-protest and anti-terror laws. In March, dozens of journalists were detained during protests tied to the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, leading to concerns over widespread press censorship. Turkey remains among the world’s most aggressive jailers of journalists, with methods often including dawn raids, confiscation of equipment, and use of laws to criminalize routine reporting on dissent or minority issues .

Press freedom watchdogs like the International Federation of Journalists and Turkey’s Journalists’ Union have repeatedly condemned these raids and arrests, demanding immediate release of detained journalists and respect for media independence.

The recent detentions of Balık, Baştürk, Gerik, and Efe exemplify the ongoing erosion of press freedom in Turkey. With charges undisclosed and censorship in place, journalists are increasingly operating under fear, undermining the country’s democratic principles and restricting public right to information.

Reference – 

https://hawarnews.com/en/4-journalists-arrested-in-turkey

Turkish police detain 4 journalists in early morning operation