Turkey’s Crackdown Targets Leftist, Pro-Kurdish, and LGBTQ Journalists Amid Opposition Surge

February 19, 2024 – Turkey –

In a sweeping operation on February 18, 2025, Turkish authorities detained 282 individuals across 51 provinces, including journalists, politicians, and academics, accusing them of affiliations with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The detentions, part of a broader crackdown on opposition figures, have drawn international condemnation.

Among those arrested were prominent journalists such as Yıldız Tar, editor-in-chief of the LGBTQ+ rights organization Kaos GL, and Elif Akgül, a former editor at bianet. Tar’s detention is particularly concerning given the government’s increasing hostility towards LGBTQ+ advocacy. The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA-Europe) has expressed alarm over the escalating repression of LGBTQ+ activists and journalists in Turkey.

The mass detentions are part of a broader strategy to dismantle the People’s Democratic Congress (HDK), an alliance of leftist and pro-Kurdish groups. The HDK has been a vocal critic of the government’s policies, and its members have been increasingly targeted in recent months.

These actions have sparked widespread protests and drawn criticism from human rights organizations worldwide. The Journalists’ Union of Turkey condemned the arrests, highlighting the government’s use of anti-terrorism laws to suppress dissent and target journalists.

The international community continues to monitor the situation closely, urging the Turkish government to uphold its commitments to press freedom and human rights. The ongoing crackdown underscores the challenges faced by journalists and activists in Turkey as they navigate an increasingly repressive environment.

Reference –

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/mass-detention-leftist-pro-kurdish-and-lbgtq-journalists-turkey