2 Kurdish journalists killed in suspected Turkish drone attack in northern Syria

Sulaymaniyah, December 20, 2024 —The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the killing of journalists Jihan Belkin and Nazim Dashdan in northern Syria in a suspected Turkish drone attack on their vehicle and calls for an investigation into whether they were targeted for their work.

“Journalists are civilians and must be protected at all times,” said CPJ Advocacy and Communications Director Gypsy Guillén Kaiser in New York. “We call on Turkey’s defense authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the killings of journalists Jihan Belkin and Nazim Dashdan in Syria. It is imperative to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

The journalists  were killed in a suspected Turkish drone attack on their vehicle on the road between Tishreen Dam and the town of Sarrin, in northeastern Aleppo, according to multiple news reports and Belkin’s employer, who spoke to CPJ.

Belkin, 28, was a correspondent for the Hawar News Agency (ANHA), while Dashdan, 32, worked as a freelance journalist for multiple outlets including ANHA, Firat News Agency, and Ronahi TV. Both journalists were inside a car while moving between locations as they were covering the recent clashes between Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the Turkish-backed opposition forces Syrian National Army (SNA), which has been supported by Turkish airstrikes during its offensive. Their driver, Aziz Haj Bozan, was also injured in the attack.

ANHA is a news agency affiliated with the Kurdish administration of northeast Syria and broadcasts in six different languages. ANHA, Firat News Agency, and Ronahi TV are pro-Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey designates a terrorist organization.

ANHA manager Akram Barakat told CPJ via messaging app that the incident took place around 3:20 pm. “They were returning to Kobani city after covering the fighting near Tishreen when a Turkish drone deliberately targeted their vehicle, killing them instantly,” he said. Barakat said that Belkin had been working as a journalist in northern Syria since 2017, and Dashdan since 2014. “Both had consistently reported on wars and conflicts in the region for various outlets,” he said.

Barakat told CPJ that the journalists’ vehicle was clearly marked as “Press,” but that Turkey “continues to disregard”  international laws.

“Turkish drone strikes have repeatedly targeted journalists in our region while the international community remains silent,” Barakat said. “We urge international organizations, human rights groups, and the global community to take immediate action to stop these attacks on journalists and hold the perpetrators accountable. This silence has only exacerbated the dangers faced by journalists in the region.”

CPJ’s email requesting comment from the Permanent Mission of Turkey to the United Nations did not receive a response. The Turkish Defense Ministry website did not provide access to allow CPJ to request comment.