During the house raids carried out in Istanbul on April 23, Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporter Esra Solin Dal, Yeni Yaşam Newspaper worker Enes Sezgin and Free Press workers Saliha Aras, Yeşim Alici, Beste Argat Balcı, Sirin Ermiş and journalist Erdoğan Alayumat were detained. As part of a separate investigation, MA reporter Mehmet Aslan was detained in a house raid in Ankara, and MA's former reporter Doğan Kaynak was detained in a house raid in Riha (Urfa).

 

The journalists' procedures at the police station where they were detained have been completed. Journalists were sent to the courthouse today. Journalists were asked about their telephone conversations with news sources and the news they shared on their virtual media accounts.

 

ASKED ABOUT ISOLATION AND FEMICIDE

 

MA reporter Esra Solin Dal, who was held at the Istanbul Police Department, was asked about her news about the isolation of PKK Leader Abdullah Ocalan and the use of chemical weapons. Journalist Dal was asked about the interviews with Abdullah Ocalan's lawyers regarding the isolation, the interviews with foreign delegations visiting Turkey, and the news with rights and legal organizations.

 

Again, women's organizations and news about violence against women and femicide were also made the subject of accusations. News titled "Women's organizations: Our struggle is just and legitimate", "Call for a common struggle from women: Turkey is committing war crimes" and "TJA will be on the field in 3 regions of Istanbul" were among the news asked to Dal.

 

Dal was also asked about her phone conversations with news sources. It was claimed that Dal was trying to "manage perception, convey messages and instructions to the supporting audience, and call for mass action" with the news and interviews in question.

 

Dal stated that she would testify at the prosecutor's office, using her right to remain silent.

 

NEWS OF THE CASE ABOUT HIS COLLEAGUES ARE ON FILE

 

Similar accusations were made against MA reporter Mehmet Aslan, who was held in Ankara Provincial Police Department. The news he made, his phone calls and his virtual media posts were included in Aslan's file.

 

Aslan's news about the isolation published in MA was made the subject of accusation. Aslan was asked about the news of the Ministry of Justice's response to the ECHR regarding the isolation, as well as various politicians and lawyers, and the news about the Imrali isolation.

 

It was noteworthy that the news about his colleagues was among the news asked about Aslan. News titled "The case against journalist Arslan, 'you made him a target'" and "The case against MA editor Sedat Yılmaz, 'it is a crime for you to be a journalist'" were included in the testimony report.

 

Aslan was also asked about his posts on virtual media.

 

JUSTICE WATCH NEWS

 

Journalist Doğan Kaynak was asked about the news about the Justice Watch carried out by relatives of prisoners in Istanbul in 2022. Source, whose file contained the Justice Watch news, was asked: "Under whose instructions did you make these news?"