DİSK Press-Union’s Statement on Tekin

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Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) Press Union has made a statement regarding the imc TV cameraperson Refik Tekin who has been shot in Cizre and noted “We ask to put an end to the attacks against the people’s right to demand information”.

DİSK Press Union has also called on the state-run Anadolu (Anatolian) Agency (AA) calling the injured “terrorists” and cameraperson Refik Tekin “person claimed to be cameraperson” and said “You are a disgrace to your profession, for what sake can you declare your colleague a terrorist?”

The statement included following expressions:

“Recently, as DİHA (Dicle News Agency) correspondent Nedim Oruş has been taken into custody and taken to a sports hall, we had to think of Metin Göktepe who had been killed 20 years ago. And as Refik Tekin was injured yesterday due to fire opened by police in Cizre, we had to remember İzzet Kezer killed in the streets of Cizre. To tell the truth, we have never forgotten about them, how could we have? In this country, we commemorate in every month of the year a couple of journalists who have been killed. The pages of the calendar are full with anniversaries of bombed newspaper buildings, censorships and deportation law.

“Despite what they have experienced, the journalists continue to go on the streets for the sake of the people’s right to demand information. They even wander around alone on the streets on which the ones who try to frighten them can not even dare get out in company with tens and hundreds of armed guards”.  

Treatment of Tekin who has been shot in his leg in Cizre still continues in Mardin State Hospital.

What had happened?

Tekin has been wounded as the group among whom Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) MP, Faysal Sarıyıldız included was marching towards the neighborhood under curfew upon Serhan Altun losing his life for not being allowed to be taken into a hospital, nine others have been wounded alongside Tekin.

State-run Anadolu Agency (AA) had announced the injured as “terrorist” and said “Conflict erupted in Cizre district of Şırnak province between security forces and terrorists. In the conflict, three terrorists have been neutralized and nine others wounded. The wounded terrorists in the conflict zone were tried to be taken away by funeral vehicles and ambulances. There was reportedly an allegedly cameraperson working for a TV channel among the injured” in its report.

Following the incident, Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS) had emphasized that journalists working in the region have no life safety.

Refik Tekin

Cameraperson and photographer Refik Tekin was following with imc TV reporter, Saadet Yıldız curfew and ongoing conflicts in Kurdish cities for a while.

Tekin had also photographed ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) members crossing into Turkey and granted Metin Göktepe Journalism Award with Yıldız. (ÇT/DG)