NEWS CENTER - DFG and MKGP members, who demanded the release of 16 journalists who have been imprisoned for 3 months in Diyarbakır, sent cards, letters and books to journalists in many cities in solidarity.

 

Members of Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform (MKGP) made a statement in Diyarbakır, Van, Mersin, Ankara and İstanbul for 16 journalists who were detained on June 8 and arrested on June 16 during house raids in Diyarbakır. Cards, letters and books were sent to journalists.

 

DIYARBAKIR

 

DFG and MKGP members made a statement in front of Diyarbakır Yenişehir PTT as part of solidarity with 16 journalists. In the statement, the banner “The free press cannot be silenced” was unfurled while the photos of the arrested journalists were carried. In addition to many journalists, People's Democratic Party (HDP) Spokesperson Ebru Günay, DFG and MKGP member journalists, and relatives of imprisoned journalists participated in the statement. MKGP Spokesperson Roza Metina read the statement in Kurdish, and the Turkish version was read by DFG Co-chair Dicle Müftüoğlu.

 

JOURNALISTS WAS HELD IN SUSPENDED FOR 8 DAYS

 

Reminding that an operation was carried out against Kurdish journalists in Diyarbakır on June 8, Müftüoğlu said: “22 people, including 20 journalists, were detained in house raids and held in security for 8 days. Within the scope of this operation, JINNEWS, Pel, Piya and Ari Production companies were raided and professional equipment including cameras, camcorders and computer hard disks were seized. Piya and Ari production companies, on the other hand, were besieged for more than a month under the name of a search and employees were prevented from entering.”

 

16 JOURNALISTS WERE ARRESTED

 

Journalists JINNEWS Director Safiye Alagaş, Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) Co-chairperson Serdar Altan, MA Editor Aziz Oruç, Xwebûn Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Ali Ertaş, journalists Zeynel Abidin Bulut Ömer Çelik, Mazlum Doğan Güler, İbrahim Koyuncu, Neşe Toprak, Elif Üngür, Abdurrahman Öncü, Suat Doğuhan, Remziye Temel, Ramazan Geciken, Lezgin Akdeniz and Mehmet Şahin were arrested on charges of “being members of a terrorist organization”.

 

MERSİN

 

DFG and MKGP members sent cards and books in solidarity with 16 journalists in Mersin. HDP Urfa MP Ömer Öcalan, HDP Provincial Co-chair Bedriye Kuş, and Human Rights Association (İHD) executives supported the journalists who came in front of the PTT. Journalist Mahmut Sönmez, who made a statement, stated that three months had passed since the arrest of 16 journalists and demanded the release of the journalists.

 

VAN

 

DFG and MKGP members sent cards and books to journalists from Van Central Post Office. While the statement that was intended to be made in front of the PTT was not allowed on the grounds of the ban decision of the governorship, a call was made for the release of the imprisoned journalists.

 

İSTANBUL

 

Journalists in Istanbul came together in front of the PTT in Kadıköy. Journalists who wanted to send letters and books after making a press statement were blocked by the police. However, journalists entered the PTT and sent letters to their colleagues. Later, journalists who issued a press statement at Beşiktaş Pier carried banners reading "The pen of truth cannot be broken" and "Free press cannot be silenced". In the statement, the slogan "Free country, free press" was frequently used. A large number of journalists and the President of the Confederation of Revolutionary Trade Unions (DİSK) Press and Printing Workers' Union (BASIN-İŞ) Faruk Eren also attended the statement.

 

ANKARA

 

Many journalists working in Ankara sent cards, letters and books to their colleagues. The police intervened to the journalists who came together in front of the Yenişehir PTT upon the call of the DFG and the MKGP. Press-Work Regional Representative Turgut Dedeoğlu and HDP Ankara Provincial Co-chair Pakize Sinemillioğlu and many journalists supported the solidarity event. Before the event, a large number of plainclothes police officers tried to prevent the journalists from taking pictures, while the PTT was blocking the way with 2 riot police and detention vehicles.