Mesopotamia Woman Journalists Platform held a press conference in the Amed branch offices of the Human Rights Association (İnsan Hakları Derneği - İHD) to announce their report on the rights violations against women journalists and the press in 2017.

The press statement was read by Mesopotamia Woman Journalists Platform Spokeswoman Ayşe Güney. Ayşe Güney said the Statutory Decrees (KHK) issued after the declaration of the State of Emergency are used as a new administration mechanism and stated that they are used as a means of punishing a section of society.

The report lists the rights violations journalist women experienced in 2017 as follows:

“- In Turkey of 2017 where oppressive policies penetrate every aspect of life, a total of 52 journalist women were detained during news follow ups or in house raids.

- 9 journalist women were arrested.

- 6 journalist women including Nujiyan Erhan were murdered on various dates during news follow-ups.

- Lawsuits were filed against 26 journalist women for being a journalist or showing solidarity with journalists.

- 6 journalist women were given prison sentences varying between 15 months and 7 years.

- 2 journalist women had their yellow press cards revoked, citing the State of Emergency as an excuse.

- 10 journalist women were subjected to battery and threats by the police in custody or in police stations.

- Women journalists were threatened and attacked by men during women’s news follow-ups.

- 35 media outlets including Turkey’s only women’s online journal Newspaper Şûjin were shut down by Statutory Decrees issued throughout 2017.

- A total of 25 journalists were fired and many journalist women were subjected to mobbing in their places of work.

- Women who work in media outlets that turn their backs on social reality in the face of government policies in Turkey where press freedom and freedom of speech are trampled were forced to resign after interventions with their publications.”