CHP’s Çakırözer visits arrested journalists

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Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Eskişehir MP, who was also a journalist himself, paid a visit to Sincan Prison in Ankara yesterday (July 23) and met with arrested journalists Rawin Sterk and Müyesser Yıldız on the occasion of July 24 Day of Struggle for Press Freedom.

Following his visit, he has shared the messages of the journalists with the public. "Press Day cannot be marked in a country where the news of journalists, struggling for press freedom and right to be informed, are censored and journalists themselves are arrested," Çakırözer has said.

"This unlawful arrests must come to an end now. On July 24 Press Day, we are making a call of freedom for all journalists arrested due to expression of opinions or their articles," the MP has added further.

'We pay a price for the children of those staying silent'

Odatv Ankara News Director Müyesser Yıldız, who has been arrested in Sincan Prison for 42 days, has shared the following message:

"I am arrested here because of three news articles that I wrote. My news were about issues that had become public knowledge. They were about the issues that President Erdoğan himself talked about. But when we wrote something about them, they keep us in prison arbitrarily.

"What we have been going through is almost the exact same as the plots of the FETÖ [held responsible for the July 15 coup attempt]. A file is opened based on an anonymous and unsigned tip-off letter.

"There are no documents in the file. That is why, they are trying to fabricate a document that is not in my phone or computer.

"The unlawfulness here is not limited to my imprisonment. They also seized the computer of my son together with mine. The examination has been completed, but they still do not give it back. You are already mistreating me, but why do you do the same thing to my son as well?

"They already acted in defiance of the law. My computer was seized without an image acquisition. They were supposed to call me or my attorney while opening it. They did not. So, I feel ashamed for saying 'the methods of the FETÖ are still ongoing', but these men do not even blush.

"On the occasion of July 24, I would like to call out to my own colleagues. There are a handful of our colleagues who have been with us and standing up against the unlawfulness since the beginning. I would like to thank them. But there are also those who have stayed silent.

"On July 24, I would like to say the following to my colleagues who have stayed silent: They will either speak out against unlawfulness today or should stay silent forever. You know, they first remained silent in the course of Ergenekon and Sledgehammer trials, but now say, 'We have always been against it.' Do not ever try to do the same thing again.

"They should know that we pay this price not only for our own children, but for their children as well. They should be courageous a bit. Those keeping us here today might subject them to the same unlawfulness tomorrow."

CLICK - Journalist Müyesser Yıldız Arrested

'Our arrest has nothing to do with law, justice'

Arrested in Sincan Prison for five months, Rûdaw reporter Rawin Sterk has also shared the following message via Çakırözer:

"While I was trying to see the situation of Syrian refugees in the border area in Edirne, we, nine journalists, were detained. Dozens of journalists were also detained after us. It is only me who is still arrested.

"They arrested me based on an investigation file opened in 2008. I was not even summoned to depose for 12 years. But in the summary of proceedings, there are not allegations from the year 2008, but my two articles from the recent months and six tweets that I posted.

"I live in İstanbul, the lawsuit was filed in İstanbul, but they have been keeping me in Ankara for five months.

"What I am sad about is that the law does not operate for us. Our arrest does not have anything to do with the law or justice. These arrests in Turkey disregarding the Constitution, international conventions, freedom of press and expression are shameful for all of us.

"But no lie can stand in the way of the truth. We, as the ones defending people's right to be informed, are made to pay a price."

CLICK - Prosecutor's Office sends Rawin Sterk's file to İstanbul

(EKN/SD)