Arrest Demanded for Özgür Gündem’s Editors in Chief on Watch; Önderoğlu, Nesin, Korur Fincancı

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Journalist and writer Ahmet Nesin, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) President Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey Representative Erol Önderoğlu who has been preparing the Media Monitoring Reports of bianet have been referred to the court seeking arrest

Korur Fincancı had participated as Editor in Chief on Watch for Özgür Gündem daily on May 29, the 27th day of the campaign and Ahmet Nesin on June 7, the 36th day of the campaign.

Önderoğlu, Nesin and Fincancı have borne testimony to Eşref Durmuş; Prosecutor for Terror and Organized Crimes for having participated in the Editorship in Chief on Watch Campaign for Özgür Gündem daily.

Nesin: “I am on trial after 38 years”

In his statement to bianet, Ahmet Nesin summoned to give testimony has noted; “I have started to work as a journalist in 1978, and what is more as a court reporter. And after 38 years, I myself am here on trial”. Nesin has pointed out that also before the 78’s journalists had been put on trial in Turkey and that the situation has still been the same.

Korur Fincancı: “They’ve picked persons specifically”

Korur Fincacı talking to bianet has interpreted the decision as “an attempt aiming at break the solidarity”.

“It is an expected situation, besides picking persons specifically like this and demanding their arrest is further worrying. What we have written was worse I suppose. [...] We will see”.

Those who participated as Editor in Chief on Watch

44 persons have supported the campaign of Editors in Chief on Watch launched on May 3. The names of the participators are as follows:

Hasan Cemal, Şeyhmus Diken, Hasan Hayri Şanlı, Cengiz Baysoy, Dicle Anter, Faruk Balıkçı, Kemal Can, Jülide Kural, Ahmet Nesin, Deniz Türkali, Necmiye Alpay, Çilem Küçükkeleş, Saruhan Oluç, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Ahmet Abakay, Hasip Kaplan, İhsan Eliaçık, Yıldırım Türker, Murat Çelikkan, Ayşe Batumlu, Nadire Mater, Aydın Engin, Tuğrul Eryılmaz, İhsan Çaralan, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Işın Eliçin, Uğur Karataş, Mehmet Güç, Beyza Üstün, Celalettin Can, Sebahat Tuncel, Erol Önderoğlu, Nurcan Baysal, Eşber Yağmurdereli, Ragıp Duran, Melda Onur, Celal Başlangıç, Mustafa Sönmez, Ayşe Düzkan, Uğur Güç, Faruk Eren, Kumru Başer, Nevin Erdemir and Hakkı Boltan.

Those into whom investigation has been launched

Taking the last investigation into account, the Editors in Chief on Watch into whom investigation has been launched are as follows:

Faruk Eren, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Ayşe Düzkan, Erol Önderoğlu, Celalettin Can, Mustafa Sönmez, Melda Onur, Fehim Işık, Celal Başlangıç, Eşber Yağmurdereli, Ragıp Duran, Nurcan Baysal, Ömer Ağın, Ahmet Abakay,İhsan Çaralan, Işın Eliçin, Murat Çelikkan, Uğur Karataş, Öncü Akgül,Ayşe Batumlu, Sebahat Tuncel, Saruhan Oluç, Nadire Mater, Beyza Üstün, Mehmet Güç, Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Faruk Balıkçı, Şeyhmus Diken,Necmiye Alpay, Jülide Kural, Yıldırım Türker, Ahmet Nesin, Kemal Can,Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Hasip Kaplan, Nevin Erdemir, Hakkı Boltan. (EA/EKN/DG)