Support for Detained Journalists Does not Abate

Hundreds of journalists and press employees as members of journalists organizations attended the "Walk for Freedom of Journalists" organized by the Freedom for Journalists Platform (GÖP) in Ankara on Saturday (19 March). This was the second protest action in the capital after the arrest of journalists Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener in the beginning of this month.

The demonstrators met at noon to voice their demand for the release of detained journalists in a walk from the busy Ankara Kolej Junction to the centrally located Ziya Gökalp Avenue.

GÖP had prepared one single banner for the protest action featuring "There can be no free society without journalism" that was carried at the lead of the march. The demonstrators made themselves heard with slogans like "Don't be silent, scream out, Press Freedom is a right", "The press is the voice of the people", "Don't be silent, don't be afraid, protect the press", "We will burn if the ones who touch get burned", "Justice now" and "For my pen, my book and my honour".

The Ziya Gökalp Avenue was closed to traffic due to the demonstrations that was also supported by labour organizations, professional chambers and members from various political parties. A number of photo journalists and cameramen who actually came to cover the event put down their equipment and joined the protest action as well.

The demonstrators carried a long chain. At the end of the march, they posted a huge banner with the photographs of all journalists in detention with the title "They are in Prison".

"Freedom for everybody before it is our turn"

Turkish Journalists Union President (TGS) Ercan Sadık İpekçik, the current spokesman of GÖP, said that they came together to bear witness that the detained journalists are being prosecuted for their journalistic activities. "We are not here today because we are afraid of being sued or arrested. We are here today out of concern about the diminishing of the people's voice, the restriction of the right to obtain information and the destruction of the right to be informed", İpekçi announced.

"We insist on professional principles, we will not fall silent"

İpekçi drew attention to Articles 3 and 12 of the Press law on "Freedom of the Press" and "Confidentiality of the news source" respectively that guarantee the journalists' freedom to obtain information and documents. He stated that information and documents obtained under this very principle could not be accounted for as elements of crime. İpekçi emphasized the danger of the approach that views journalists as potentially guilty.

The announcement also mentioned the legal amendments anticipated for the Turkish Criminal Law (TCK). The draft was criticized as fuelling concerns regarding the legal defence of journalists who were exposed to discriminative and totalitarian state applications that put the media under pressure. The struggle against the draft would not be abandoned, it was emphasized.

Message to the Prime Minister: "Amendments now!"

İpekçi urged Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to start with the amendments as soon as possible. "Immediately amend the criminal laws and the Criminal Procedure Law that eliminate the freedom to make news by including the possibility of telephone tapping and that are shown as reasons for access ban of internet sites. Do not delay the amendments that are necessary to release journalists from prison and to end this atmosphere of fear and intimidation in the media". (BB/EÖ/VK)