The "Fellow Journalists of Ahmet and Nedim" gathered at Istanbul's Galatsaray Square at 1.30 pm on Sunday (18 September) to mark the 200th day in detention for arrested journalists Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener.
The protest action was supported by representatives of democratic mass organizations, artists, journalists and advocates for press freedom. At the beginning of the meeting, the demonstrators chanted slogans such as "We will touch even if we get burned", "The Imam's Army does not scare us", "A free press cannot be silenced" or "For Hrant, for Justice".
Police barrier because of BDP meeting
The police initially refused permission to walk to Taksim Square because of a meeting of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) held on the square at the same time.
However, the police took a step back upon the persistent attitude of the protestors and allowed them to walk up to a distance of approximately 100-150 metres off Taksim Square.
More than a thousand people joined the protest lead by a banner reading "Justice 200". The demonstration was attended by journalists Ruşen Çakır, Ece Temelkuran, Banu Güven, Ayşenur Arslan, Zafer Arapkirli, Ayşenur Arslan, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Republican People Party (CHP) Deputy Chair Umut Oran, CHP Secretary General Bihlun Tamaylıgil, CHP deputies Gürsel Tekin and Sezgin Tanrıkulu, BDP deputy Sırrı Süreyya Önder, artist Leman Sam and Suzan Yılmaz Okar as the wife of arrested Baha Okar, defendant of the Revolutionary Headquarters trial.
The group was refused permission to enter Taksim Square. Thus, journalist Kumru Başer, spokesman of the "Fellow Journalists of Ahmet and Nedim" group, read out a press release on the spot.
Başer first of all drew attention to the fact that the freedom of journalists and detainees Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener had been suspended, recalling the longing of their children for 200 days and the distance to their loved ones.
"We saw two faces of the judiciary within these very 200 days", Başar said and pointed out that the court insisted on the detentions of Şık and Şener despite appeals.
"Where are the people who talked about crucial evidence?"
Başer stated that the ones who said that they were going to make Turkey a country of freedoms and ideals now arrested more than 50 journalists, launched trials against more than 4,000 journalists and seized unpublished books.
"Instead of creating a country by thinking of the people, they created a country where people are afraid to write and express themselves", Başer announced.
"The 134-page indictment published last week reinforces this belief. Some people said 'Wait for the indictment; there is very serious evidence'. We are wondering why they kept silent after the indictment was published. We think that these people owe an explanation to the public about which fresh evidence was exhibited that supported the accusations mentioned in the indictment".
"Journalism is being prosecuted with this indictment rather than Ahmet and Nedim. Press freedom and freedom of expression are in the dock", Başer criticized.
"Our colleagues should not have been arrested at all"
The spokesman underlined that "this trial should have never been opened. (...) Our colleagues should have never been arrested. An indictment that lacks any valid proof should not have been accepted by court".
"Today we defend the profession of journalism and our people's right to information just as we did yesterday. We defend the fight against gangs, the cleaning of the deep state and coming to account with the 12 September ideology [1980 military coup]. We defend an equal, free, democratic and thriving society and the possibility to free the press from iron bonds. We call for the implementation of the principles of universal law and for light instead of darkness", the journalist said on behalf of the group. (EKN/VK)
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