Turkey indicts three journalists from Etkin News Agency

Turkish prosecutors have completed indictments against three female journalists from the left-wing Etkin News Agency (ETHA) following seven months of pretrial detention. Pınar Gayıp, Nadiye Gürbüz, and Elif Bayburt face charges of membership in an armed terrorist organization.

The arrests were part of a broader investigation in İstanbul targeting various socialist and leftist organizations, including the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) and the Socialist Women’s Assemblies (SKM). The prosecution alleges links to the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLKP), which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey.

According to the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), the evidence cited by prosecutors includes the journalists’ professional coverage of demonstrations, funerals, and commemorative events, as well as their telephone contacts and financial transactions. Court dates have been set for mid-September in various İstanbul High Criminal Courts.