CPJ says Türkiye should investigate killing of journalist in Syria airstrikes

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called on Türkiye to investigate the killing of a journalist in northern Syria during its widespread airstrikes on Sunday (November 20).

Essam Abdullah, a reporter for the Syria-based Hawar News Agency (ANHA) was killed in an airstrike on the Derîk (Al Malikiyah) town in Syria's northeastern province of Al Hasakah.

"Turkish authorities must immediately conduct a full and transparent investigation on whether ... Essam Abdullah and other journalists were targeted during Turkish airstrikes in the region," said Sherif Mansour, CPJ Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. "Journalists are civilians and should be protected while doing their jobs."

Türkiye's airstrikes targeted Kurdish armed groups in an area stretching from Syria's northwest to Iraq's northern region of Kurdistan. Over 30 people, including militants, soldiers and civilians, were reportedly killed in the strikes.

The government said the attacks were in response to the deadly bombing in İstanbul on November 13. The Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had denied involvement in the attack.

CLICK - Türkiye launches airstrikes in Syria, Iraq: Dozens reportedly killed, including journalist, soldiers

According to an ANHA report, Abdullah headed towards a bombed area in the village of Tqil Baqil in Derîk after the first round of airstrikes. He was killed while reporting there when Türkiye's aircraft bombed the area again.

Mustafa Allua, head of ANHA, told CPJ by phone that the strikes occurred at 1.10 a.m. "Essam told me that he will go to the targeted village to cover it because there are civilian casualties. I agreed," Allua said.

"I was in contact with Essam until 2 a.m. We called him several times but were useless. We realized he was killed in the second airstrike," he said.

ANHA is a news agency affiliated with the Kurdish-led administration in north and east Syria and broadcasts in six different languages.

Mohammed Jarada, reporter for Stêrk TV, a Tv outlet affiliated with the PKK, was also injured in the strikes, CPJ noted. (HA/VK)