İSTANBUL - Stating that journalism is on trial in the person of their colleagues standing trial in Van, journalists called for participation in the hearing to be held tomorrow.

 

The first hearing of the law suit against Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reporters Cemil Uğur and Adnan Bilen, Jinnews reporters Şehriban Abi and journalist Nazan Sala will be held in Van 5th High Criminal Court on April 2. MA reporter Zeynep Durgut is also on trial without arrest. The five journalists were arrested on October 9, 2020 after breaking the stroy about Osman Şiban and Servet Turgut, two villagers thrown out of a military helicopter by soldiers in the Çatak district of Van. The five journalists are accused of 'being a member of a terrorist organization'. Nazan Sala is also accused of 'propagandizing a terrorist organization'. 

 

Pointing out that the whole case is political, journalists demanded their colleagues to be released as soon as possible.

 

A MESSAGE TO JOURNALISTS

 

Emphasizing that the story of the villagers thrown from a helicopter by the soldiers had a great impact in Turkey and in the world, Yeni Yaşam Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Ferhat Çelik said: "Our friends are behind bars for 6 months. This is a long time. They were ripped away from their professional and personal lives. This is also a message to all journalists in which they say, 'If you stand against the government in an incident where the state is a party, this is what's happen to you'.

 

CALL FOR SOLIDARITY

 

Underlining that the government is trying to cover up the unlawfulnesses in the country, Çelik told that the journalists that do not aline themselves with the government are being targeted. Çelik said: "They will continue  these attacks until there is only one voice in the media. However, we know that this is not possible in this country. There are dozens of journalists who have been paying a great price for doing their jobs." Underlining the urgency to stand with the imprisoned journalists, Çelik said: "If you can not go to Van to follow the hearing, you can tweet for them."

 

CLAIMS AGAINST OUR COLLEAGUES HAVE NO LEGAL VALUE!

 

Reminding that dozens of journalists are behind bars in Turkey, Evrensel Newspaper Executive Editor Fatih Polat told that the political cases in Turkey are usually circumstantial. Pointing out that the accusation of the prosecution against these journalists is political, Polat said: "There is no such criteria anywhere in the world that says a journalist can not make news against the state. This whole case file is a violation of the nature of journalism. They are acting like the chair of a political party or a militia. It has no legal value."

 

THIS IS AN INTIMIDATION

 

Polat continued, "They are shaking their finger at us, telling us that we can not 'make news about social incidents against the state'. There is no such rule or law. This is an intimidation against journalists. The unlawfulness must come to an end at the hearing on April 2."

 

PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO RECIEVE NEWS

 

Etkin News Agency (ETHA) reporter Pınar Gayıp emphasized that her colleagues were being punished by the government for reporting a truth that they wanted to hide. Gayıp said: "The hearing to be held on April 2 is a case where the public's right to receive news and journalists' right to report is being tried. The long detention period is essentially a method of punishment. Our friends who are on trial in this case have been protecting the right of the people to recieve news. Now we have to protect that right and be with them. This is a case of an uprising against those who want to intimidate journalists. We have to stand with our friends as the followers of the free press tradition."

 

 

MA / Kadir Güney