JournalismPakistan.com | Published March 03, 2018
Join our WhatsApp channelDIYARBAKIR, Turkey - A news website in the Kurdish-majority Turkish city of Diyarbakir, staffed only by women, has been repeatedly shut down by the authorities over alleged terror propaganda but it is refusing to give up the fight to publish.
Jin News Agency, from the Kurdish word for a woman "Jin", focuses on Kurdish and women's issues and publishes in Kurdish, Turkish, Arabic and English.
Written for women, it is run by a female-only team from the accountant to the photographer, and editors to camerawomen.
The agency, set up in 2012, has come under pressure from the Turkish authorities who have closed it twice and shut off access to the agency seven times.
Turkish authorities accuse the agency of making "terror propaganda" for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency against Turkey since 1984.
The PKK is proscribed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies and since the breakdown of a ceasefire in 2015 Turkey has launched a relentless crackdown against the group.
The crackdown has been wide, with media seen as sympathetic to the PKK finding themselves in the crosshairs of the authorities.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has argued there is no difference between a "terrorist holding a gun or a bomb or those who use their pen to serve their aims."
Turkey stepped up the campaign after the failed July 2016 coup attempt, with dozens of media outlets accused of links to putschists and the PKK closed down.
There are currently six legal cases against Jin News Agency accusing it of "terror propaganda". Its website is blocked in Turkey.
The agency rejects the accusations and says that the issue is one of press freedom. It is continuing to publish news but the articles can only be read on social media and accessible via Virtual Private Networks (VPN).
Camerawoman Beritan Elyakut, based in Diyarbakir and working for the agency for five years, complained the website was unable to "reach the outside world".
"What else can we do?" she added as she filmed a story ahead of International Women's Day on March 8, saying the website used six different domain names "but closures continued uninterrupted".
The latest website domain, jinnews7.com, was blocked in Turkey on February 22 after AFP spoke to Elyakut.
The website, funded by subscriptions, tackles topics that are off limits for Turkish media, including the fate of Abdullah Ocalan the PKK leader jailed for life by Turkey for terror offences.
It has offered its critical take on Turkey's offensive against Kurdish militia in Syria and has also written about the disappearance in Iraq last year of two Turkish agents.
Critics say that the government has widened the definition of "terror propaganda" to an absurd width. But officials insist the measures are needed with the country fighting multiple terror groups.
After the news site was shut down the first time, the women journalists renamed the agency "Sujin" meaning "packing needle" in Kurdish.
But in August 2017, Sujin was shut down by another emergency decree and they then renamed themselves Jin News.
While it once had 60 journalists in text, photo, and video working for the agency across the country including Istanbul, Ankara and the Aegean city of Izmir, this has now fallen to 25. Eight women work in the Diyarbakir office but most work from home. - AFP
June 11, 2025: Pakistan celebrated a narrow win over Bangladesh, but beneath the jubilation lies a deeper crisis—from sidelined veterans to a collapsing domestic structure—signaling an urgent need for cricket reform.
June 11, 2025: Journalists walked out of the post-budget press conference in Islamabad to protest the absence of a technical briefing and the government's dismissive behavior, calling it unacceptable and intolerable.
May 31, 2025: Dr. Nauman Niaz has issued a defamation notice to Shoaib Akhtar over derogatory remarks made during a recent broadcast, reigniting a longstanding media feud between the two prominent figures in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has demanded the full repeal of PECA, citing its vague language, coercive powers, and threats to free speech and digital rights in Pakistan.
May 30, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the murder of journalist Syed Mohammed Shah in Jacobabad, calling for urgent justice and improved safety for media professionals in Sindh.
May 26, 2025: In Rawalpindi, police allegedly side with Jang Group to block 66 reinstated employees from resuming work despite court orders, drawing sharp criticism from unions and press freedom advocates.
May 25, 2025: PFUJ condemns the Jang Group's decision to dismiss over 80 employees in Rawalpindi, calling it an 'economic massacre.' The union warns of nationwide protests if workers are not reinstated.
May 25, 2025: Daily Jang Rawalpindi has terminated over 80 employees, including female staff, despite multiple court rulings in their favor—raising concerns over labor rights violations and misuse of authority in Pakistani media.
May 19, 2025 PJS reports 219 Palestinian journalists killed in Israeli attacks since October 7, with 30 women among the victims. Over 430 were injured and 685 family members were killed. Read more on the systematic targeting of media in Gaza.
May 15, 2025 Discover the legacy of Samiullah Khan, Pakistan’s legendary "Flying Horse," whose breathtaking speed and artistry redefined hockey. From Olympic glory to World Cup triumphs, his story is one of myth, movement, and magic.
May 04, 2025 Algerian authorities suspend Echorouk News TV for 10 days after it used a racist slur against African migrants. ANIRA demands an apology, calling it a violation of human dignity.
May 04, 2025 NCHR and MMfD launch a journalism fellowship to train reporters on digital rights & gender inclusion in Pakistan. Supported by UNESCO, this initiative aims to bridge the gender digital divide. Apply by May 15, 2025!
April 23, 2025 Discover Dr. Nauman Niaz’s In A Different Realm: Story of Quadruple & Triple Centuries 1876–2025, a profound exploration of cricket's most monumental innings, blending historical analysis with poetic narrative.