Following the arrest of our İzmir reporter Ruken Demir and Jinnews reporter Melike Aydın with the accusation of 'being a member to an illegal organization', our Ankara reporter Berivan Altan and our former employee Yusuf Topaloğlu were taken into custody on November 26 and our İstanbul reporters Sadık Topaloğlu and Sadiye Eser were taken into custody in İstanbul on November 29. A confidentiality order was announced for the cases of our reporters. Journalists drawing attention to the pressures on the Kurdish press, reacted to the detentions.

 

'WHICH ONE OF US DID YOU SUMMONED AND WE DID NOT SHOW UP?' 

 

Stating that they are accustomed to pressures on the press, Birgün Newspaper Editor Uğur Şahin recalled that journalists have been getting arrested without knowing the reason for their arrest for a long time now, said: "We want to do our jobs. We have to resist the various pressures of power. The reason we're under pressure is because we bring the truth to the public. Therefore, the government wants to punish us in its own way. Many of our friends' houses were raided and they are being detained. We're asking, which one of us did you call and summon and we did not show up? These detentions and arrests are an attack to all of us. The pro-government media have become the government's toy. Those who don't share their vision are being supressed by the police and the judiciary. At the same time, the regulations issued make it difficult to publish. The use of many concepts is prohibited. Just the other day, an elderly woman in Istanbul complained about the government and she was taken in by the gendermerie while she was visiting a friend. While the people are suffering under politic and economic pressure, the journalist trying to be their voice share this pressure."

 

Media Law Studies Association (MLSE) Co-Director Attorney Veysel Ok, stating that no matter what kind of judiciary package they come up with, nothing will change until the judiciary independence is established, said: "Currently one of the biggest problems in Turkey is the Kurdish problem. ALl the journalists producing news about this is being harassed by the judiciary. n this sense, there is a circulation. Some of the journalists are released and some are arrested. This is partly due to the Kurdish question. Unless relief is provided in the Kurdish issue, journalists writing the Kurdish issue will continue to be the targeted."

 

Ok, stating that they are in solidarity with the journalists who are detained or arrested as the MLSA , said: "In general, there are 121 journalists imprisoned in Turkey. But unfortunately, solidarity is only provided through a few popular names both in the west of Turkey and in Europe. We think that this is a shame. The institutions that defend the freedom of the press and expression should approach every journalist' case equally." 

 

 

MA / Erdoğan Alayumat