- Three women journalists, Pınar Gayıp, Nadiye Gürbüz and Elif Bayburt, who were arrested in an operation targeting the ESP, will appear before a judge for the first time in September, seven months after their Feb. 3 arrests, following the preparation of their indictments months later.
- ETHA reporter Müslüm Koyun, who was arrested in the same operation, was released at his second hearing. His trial will continue on Oct. 27.
MLSA — Seven months have passed since the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office carried out an operation on Feb. 3, 2026, targeting the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), the Socialist Women’s Assembly (SKM), the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations (SGDF), Etkin News Agency (ETHA), the DİSK/Limter-İş trade union, Polen Ecology and BEKSAV.
More than 100 people were detained in the operation, and many were subsequently arrested, including ETHA staff members Pınar Gayıp, Nadiye Gürbüz, Elif Bayburt and Müslüm Koyun. The indictments against Gayıp, Gürbüz and Bayburt were completed months after their arrests.
The three women journalists will appear before a judge for the first time after the indictments against them were accepted. Their hearings will be held in September, after Turkey’s annual judicial recess ends.
Three women journalists to appear before judges in succession
ETHA reporter Pınar Gayıp will appear before the Istanbul 23rd High Criminal Court at 10:15 a.m. on Sept. 14.
ETHA editor Nadiye Gürbüz will then appear at her first hearing before the Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court at 10 a.m. on Sept. 15.
Elif Bayburt’s first hearing will be held before the Istanbul 24th High Criminal Court at 9:20 a.m. on Sept. 29.
Prosecutors sought to have all three journalists tried on charges of “membership in an armed terrorist organization.”
“We will continue to be the voice of truth”
The indictments cited the journalists’ work at ETHA, including protests, funerals and commemorations they covered, as well as phone calls and financial transactions, as grounds for the charges.
In a message sent from prison, Bayburt said her journalistic activities had been treated as criminal evidence, including her coverage of commemorations for the March 12 Gazi massacre and the Suruç bombing, protests that began on March 19, and union demonstrations against workplace deaths. She also said her work as a volunteer with the Workers’ Health and Work Safety Assembly (İSİG) against child worker deaths was among the accusations.
The three jailed women journalists said in messages sent to MLSA from Bakırköy Women’s Closed Prison in February that they had been arrested because of their journalistic activities.
“No matter where we are, we will continue to pursue the truth and be the voice of truth,” Nadiye Gürbüz said.
Pınar Gayıp said, “If reporting on the oppressed is a crime, then we, as ETHA workers, will continue to commit that crime.”
Elif Bayburt said she was accused of making the voices of the working class and the oppressed heard and of practicing socialist journalism, adding, “We will continue to commit this crime.”
Koyun, arrested in the same operation, released
The trial of ETHA reporter Müslüm Koyun, who was arrested in the same operation, began during the previous judicial year.
Koyun is standing trial before the Istanbul 22nd High Criminal Court on a charge of “membership in an organization.” At the second hearing, Koyun and his lawyers requested his release. The court ruled that another case against Koyun be merged with the current case and ordered his release.
Koyun’s trial will continue on Oct. 27, 2026.
In his defense statement, Koyun rejected the charges, saying that he is a socialist and that his political activities had been cited as grounds for the accusations. He requested his acquittal.
What happened?
On Feb. 3, police carried out an operation targeting the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) and several other organizations, including the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations (SGDF), the Socialist Women’s Assembly (SKM), the DİSK-affiliated Limter-İş union, Polen Ecology, the Law Office of the Oppressed (EHB) and the Foundation for Science, Education, Aesthetics, Culture and Arts Research (BEKSAV).
As part of the operation, police officers also entered ETHA’s office in Istanbul’s Aksaray district by breaking down the door. Hard drives from computers in the office were seized, along with journalists’ computers and phones.
Of the 95 people detained, 77 were arrested by courts on Feb. 5 and 6. Those arrested included ETHA journalists Pınar Gayıp, Nadiye Gürbüz, Elif Bayburt and Müslüm Koyun.
ETHA reporter Züleyha Müldür was released under judicial supervision and barred from leaving the country.
Gürbüz, Gayıp and Bayburt were sent to Bakırköy Women’s Closed Prison, while Koyun was sent to Metris Prison.
