Jihan Belkin was killed with her colleague Nazim Dashdan in a suspected Turkish drone attack on December 19, 2024, on the road between Tishreen Dam and the town of Sarrin, a sub-district of Kobani (Ain Al Arab) in northeastern Aleppo, Syria, according to multiple news reports and Belkin’s employer, who spoke to CPJ.
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.
Belkin, 28, was a Kurdish journalist who worked as a correspondent for the Hawar News Agency (ANHA) in Syria since 2017. She covered a wide range of topics, including war, human rights, women’s rights, and other issues affecting the region. Her name in Turkish was Cihan Bilgin.
ANHA is a news organization affiliated with the Kurdish administration of northeast Syria and broadcasts in six different languages. ANHA is pro-Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Turkey designates as a terrorist organization.
ANHA manager Akram Barakat told CPJ that the incident took place around 3:20 p.m.
“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.”
Barakat told CPJ that the journalists would be buried in the Syrian city of Qamishlo.
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.
Belkin grew up in the Turkish city of Midyat and moved to the capital, Diyarbakir, in 2013 to study law, according to CPJ’s review of ANHA’s website. While pursuing her studies, she began her journalism career in 2014 by distributing newspapers published by the Free Media, including Özgür Gündem and Azadiya Welat.
Despite facing severe harassment from authorities, including the 2016 closure of Azadiya Welat, Belkin remained committed to journalism, according to ANHA’s website.