Journalists Elif Akgül, Yıldız Tar and Nurcan Kaya were among the 52 people arrested in mid-February as part of an ongoing investigation by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
This statement was originally published on bianet.org on 19 February 2025.
An investigation targets the Peoples’ Democratic Congress, an umbrella organization of pro-Kurdish and leftist groups, over its alleged ties to the PKK.
The detention of journalists Elif Akgül, Yıldız Tar, and lawyer and columnist Nurcan Kaya has been extended following yesterday’s police raids targeting members of the pro-Kurdish and leftist umbrella group, the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK).
The three were among 52 people detained as part of an ongoing investigation by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. After an initial 24-hour restriction on lawyer visits expired this morning, the detention was extended, according to the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA).
In addition to the journalists, politicians, lawyers, and activists were also detained during the raids, including former Labor Party (EMEP) chair Ercüment Akdeniz musician Pınar Aydınlar.
There was a protest about the raids yesterday evening in İstanbul’s Kadıköy district, where labor and democracy groups condemned the detentions as an effort to suppress political opposition.
A statement by Labor, Peace, and Democracy Forces said, “This is an attempt to silence workers and laborers demanding a decent life. We are witnessing an unrestricted use of [repressive] tools. We will continue our struggle in solidarity against arbitrary detentions and intimidation operations.”
The investigation into HDK remains ongoing, with prosecutors alleging the group has links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The HDK was founded in 2011 as a coalition of labor unions, leftist movements, minority groups, and various rights-based organizations, including women’s and LGBTI+ groups. It describes itself as a platform for democratic opposition and social movements, advocating for grassroots participation in politics.
