DİYARBAKIR - Journalist organizations that reacted to the raid on our agency and the detention of 4 journalists, including 2 of our reporters, called for solidarity, stating that the journalists who revealed the facts were targeted.

 

Our agency's Van reporters Adnan Bilen and Cemil Uğur, who documented the fact that Osman Şiban and Servet Turgut was thrown out of a helicoper under custody and Jinnews reporters Şehriban Abi and Nazan Sala whose houses were raided were taken into custody. Police, raiding the Van bureau of Mesopotamia Agency (MA) confiscated the cameras, technical equipment of the journalists and computers. Journalist organizations protested the raid on our agency and the detentions of the journalists. 

 

Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform (MKGP) spokeswoman Ayşe Güney, Tigris Euphrates Journalists Association (DFG) Co-Chair Serdar Altan, Turkey Journalists' Union (TGS) Diyarbakır Representative Mahmut Oral noted that the detention of the journalists was because of the anger towards them for uncovering the truth.

 

TGS: THEY ARE TRYING TO MARGINALIZE THE JOURNALISTS

 

Noting that detentions are unacceptable, TGS Diyarbakır Representative Mahmut Oral said: "The situation of the citizens who were thrown from the helicopter,pricked the conscience of the public. With the news, the facts appeared before the public with all their clarity. The mentality, which could not tolerate the fact that the truth was revealed, started to attack again. They raided the homes of journalists who had uncovered the facts and detained them. We think  this is unacceptable." Stating that these journalists would have went to the police station and give their statements on the subject if they were summoned, Oral said: "The only reason for these raids is to marginalize the journalists" and demanded the journalists to be released immediately.

 

MKGP: THEY ARE TRYING TO INTIMIDATE THE JOURNALISTS 

 

MKGP Spokesperson Ayşe Güney, who stated that the arrest of journalists was due to the news about citizens thrown from a helicopter while they were under custody, said: "Our journalist friends who were targeted for revealing the facts when pro-government media and politicians could not refute the claims were detained with raids on their homes. All these repressions are aimed at intimidating journalists who do not swear allegiance to them. We always say that our pen has been sharpened with courage, our friends are on the side of the people and will continue to work in that manner. So no pressure will discourage us and we will not hesitate to reveal the facts. Journalism is not a crime. We call on all democratic forces and our colleagues to be in solidarity with our journalist friends." 

 

DFG: MA REVEALED THE COVERED UP TRUTH

 

DFG Co-Chair Altan said: "We know that one of the first methods used in such circumstances is to silence the press and the journalists. We are face to face with such circumstances again. The Van bureau of Mesopotamia Agency (MA) have done exceptional work lately and uncovered the truths that were trying to be covered up. This has made them a target. They have recently been threatened by the police following up on the wake of Servet Turgut. It seems that their threats did not work so they chose to detain these reporters. But we want to emphasize one more time that these efforts are futile. Our friends detained in Van must be released at once. Journalism is not a crime and no oppression can prevent a journalist from persuing the facts."

 

In addition, DGF made a written statement and requested the release of the detained journalists.