The police intervened the students who wanted to march after CHP’s rally in Saraçhane with tear gas. During the intervention, 42 people, including journalists, were detained. Cumhuriyet reporter İrem Karataş stated that they were handcuffed behind their backs despite repeatedly saying that they were journalists and offering to show their press cards.
Karataş and Erdem Ökten were released in a short time. Engin Deniz İpek was released after the procedures at the police station. According to the testimonies, the police used violence despite the fact that they were clearly identified as journalists. Erdem Ökten was reportedly seriously beaten.
The incident was seen as a new example of systematic violations of freedom of the press and freedom of expression in Turkey. In the same week, four employees of LeMan Magazine were detained and arrested over a cartoon on Gaza, and a recall order was imposed on the magazine. Professional organizations condemned the developments and declared “we reject the language of threat”.
July 2, 2025
Journo