CFWIJ finds raid at journalist Nurcan Baysal’s house alarming
TURKEY, Diyarbakir 20, 2019 — On early morning of October 19, the house of journalist Nurcan Baysal was raided by Turkish police because of her critical social media posts. According to Bianet, the raid took place early morning Saturday.
The house in Diyarbakır was raided by 30–40 policemen. She is currently a resident with English PEN in London and made a statement on Twitter:
“This morning at 5 am, 30–40 armed police officers raided my house and asked for me. I am currently abroad, therefore not detained, but my two kids were terrified. There is no trace of human rights in Turkey. But whatever the cost, I will continue my struggle for human rights and peace!”
English PEN also released a statement asking for Turkish authorities to respect freedom of speech. Direction Danial Gorman said that the raid was part of an ongoing assault by authorities on free press in the country. “English PEN condemns the raid on the house of courageous journalist Nurcan Baysal by Turkish Security Forces. We call on the Turkish government to respect international conventions on freedom of expression and to support a free and independent media,” he said.
Nurcan Baysal is a Kurdish writer, human rights activist and journalist from Diyarbakır. She is a columnist of Ahval News. With Turkey’s attack on the Kurds of Syria, it’s no surprise that someone like her has come under fire. She has written many works on the Kurdish population, in addition to her work as a journalist.
We as Coalition For Women In Journalism condemn the raid and call on Turkish authorities to respect not only human rights but also independent and free media. According to our data, despite no longer being the largest jailer of women journalists in the world, Turkey still holds the second position accounting for the bulk of those in prisons.
The government needs to do better and allow journalists to perform their duties with safety and dignity. We want an independent and free environment for Turkish media.
