Police detained 22 people, including five journalists, during protests yesterday in the border province of Mardin. The demonstrations targeted the offensive by Syrian transitional government forces against the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in northern Syria.
The detentions occurred in the Nusaybin district as crowds gathered to protest attacks against Kurds in Syria. Among those taken into custody were Kesira Önel, co-chair of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), and journalists Pelşin Çetinkaya, Heval Önkol, Ferhat Akıncı, and Muhammed Ali Yılmaz.
The journalists were covering the protest when they were detained alongside demonstrators. Authorities transported the group to the Mardin Provincial Security Directorate.
Officials today extended the detention period for the detained individuals. The group remains in custody pending instructions from the Nusaybin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office to begin taking formal statements.
The unrest follows significant territorial losses by the SDF in northern Syria, also referred to as Rojava, in the face of an offensive launched by the Syrian interim government earlier this month. These developments have sparked protests across Kurdish-populated border towns in Turkey.
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(VK)
