Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform: 14 Women Journalists Behind Bars

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform (MKGP) has released its four-month report on the occasion of May 3 World Press Freedom Day. The report was shared with the public in a statement for the press held in the Human Rights Association (İHD) Diyarbakır Branch today (May 3).

While the Kurdish version of the report was read out by journalist Fatime Tekin, its Turkish version was read out by Platform Spokesperson Ayşe Güney. Some details from the report are as follows:

* After the State of Emergency was declared on July 20, 2016, 173 media organizations were closed.

* 12 imprisoned journalists have been on a hunger strike.

* There are 14 women journalists currently behind bars. Five women journalists have been released. 30 women journalists stood before the judge. Two women journalists have been acquitted. Two women journalists were battered and two of them were massacred. The telephones of three women journalists were wiretapped.

'We will continue writing the truth'

Concluding the report, the representatives of the platform said,

"In the face of the reality of press which has assumed a single voice and a single color, black, we, as women journalists, will purely and simply write the truth, show it to the whole world and will not lose our courage by containing all colors of Turkey within ourselves.

"We wish a happy World Press Freedom Day to our all colleagues and invite them to raise their voices for freedom of press and expression."

'It is Press Freedom Day, we have opposite in Turkey'

Free Press Initiative (ÖGİ) has also released its four-month report on the occasion of May 3 World Press Freedom Day.

In the report of ÖGİ, it has been indicated that in the four-month period of January, February, March and April, 162 journalists were behind bars, 15 journalists were detained, an investigation was launched against two journalists, a lawsuit was filed against seven journalists, 219 journalists were put on trial, 26 journalists were sentenced to fines or prison, 15 journalists were released and one journalist was deported from Turkey.

(EMK/SD)

* News and photographs: Mezopotamya Agency (MA)