A Kurdish journalist arrested in Sydney last week and charged with being a member of a terrorist organisation has been denied bail.

Renas Lelikan, 38, is accused of being a member of the banned organisation, the PKK, which is fighting against the Islamic State (IS) terror group in northern Iraq.

Lelikan appeared by video-link, handcuffed and dressed in an orange jumpsuit.

His barrister argued his client posed no threat to the public and was being harassed in jail by inmates sympathetic to IS — also known as ISIS.

But Magistrate Carmel Forbes found this did not amount to the exceptional circumstances needed to warrant bail being granted.

In making his case for bail, Lelikan's barrister Phillip Boulton SC argued his client did not pose a threat to Australia because the PKK is not Australia's enemy.

The PKK, also known as the Kurdistan Workers' Party, has been a proscribed terrorist organisation in Australia since August 2005.

"It is ... submitted that the PKK is an enemy of ISIS and ISIS is a threat to Australia, not the PKK. That argument presupposes that the enemy of the enemy is our friend," Magistrate Forbes said.

"The Government does not differentiate between terrorist organisations."

Lelikan being held in solitary confinement, court hears

Lelikan returned to Australia last year but was refused a passport on security grounds.

The court heard he "came back because of the dangers of IS".

The court was also told Lelikan was being held in solitary confinement and was only being allowed out of his cell for an hour a day.

"There are IS supporters near him that are yelling at him…and this situation is going through the night," the magistrate said.

But she said this did not amount to the exceptional circumstances required to warrant bail being granted.

Supporters say PKK unfairly categorised with Islamic State

Supporters leave court disappointed Renas Lelikan was refused bail. ( ABC News )

The public gallery was filled with members of the Kurdish community who had come to support him.

They were disappointed he was denied bail.

Brusk Aeiveri said the PKK had unfairly been put in the same terrorist category as the IS group.

"PKK's are the only forces that are fighting against ISIS," he said.

"They were the first ones in fact, before even the coalition's got together."

The case will return to court in September.