bianet reporter Tuğçe Yılmaz, who is among 18 individuals detained in a “terrorism” investigation, including nine journalists, provided a statement to the terror police in Eskişehir today.
Yılmaz was taken into custody on Nov 26 and subsequently transferred to Eskişehir, central Turkey, where the investigation was launched. During her questioning, Yılmaz was accused of “terror propaganda,” “membership in a terrorist organization,” and “financing terrorism” based on payments she received for articles she wrote for the pro-Kurdish newspaper Yeni Özgür Politika between 2017 and 2020. The questioning at the Eskişehir Anti-Terror Branch lasted two hours and was conducted in the presence of bianet’s lawyer Deniz Yazgan Şenay.
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Officers questioned Yılmaz about her news-related social media activity and journalistic work, most notably her interview with American philosopher Michael Hardt, published on bianet on Oct 15.
They asked her why she worked for Yeni Özgür Politika, how she had communication with the publication, and the nature of its editorial stance.
Rejecting the allegations, Yılmaz stated that she is a journalist who has worked as a freelance contributor for various media outlets and has been employed at bianet since 2020. She explained that the payments she received from Yeni Özgür Politka were for articles about culture and arts she produced for the outlet.
The police also scrutinized Yılmaz’s interview with Michael Hardt, which covered topics such as the 2013 Gezi Park protests, the Kurdish issue, and the Palestinians. The officers asked Yılmaz to explain Hardt’s comments on the Kurdish issue.
Yılmaz’s social media activity was also cited as evidence of alleged wrongdoing. Posts related to figures such as Prof. Şebnem Korur Fincancı, a human rights defender, prominent lawyer Selçuk Kozağaçlı, and Kurdish politician Aysel Tuğluk, as well as the Kobani trial concerning dozens of Kurdish politicians, were questioned. Authorities demanded to know why she shared such content, including posts about her own articles.
Yılmaz has denied all allegations and asserted that her work is purely journalistic in nature. (VK)