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Releasing a joint statement on the occassion of the Pride Month, 154 journalists have expressed their criticism of incidents of police violence and bans targeting the LGBTI+ community.
The journalists emphasized their commitment to "documenting the struggle for freedom rather than the perpetuation of violence during LGBTI+ Pride Marches."
The journalists also underscore the impact of these restrictions on their own professional experiences, as they have also suffered violence in Pride March areas, urging the authorities to cease violating the freedom of expression and organization of LGBTI+s, and to provide an environment where journalists can carry out their work unhindered.
"We no longer want to report on more violence and bans against LGBTI+s!" says the statement.
"As soon as LGBTI+ Pride Month began, bans on activities and marches of LGBTI+s followed. As journalists, we are forced to report on new incidents of police violence and detentions every day. However, we want to write, capture, and publish the voices and words of LGBTI+s. We want to document the struggle for freedom, not violence, during LGBTI+ Pride Marches.
"We do not consent to this growing hostility in politics during the election process. The violence that we, as journalists, have also become victims of in Pride Parade areas directly threatens social peace.
"We no longer want to report on violence and bans against LGBTI+s! We call on the authorities: Stop violating the freedom of expression and organization of LGBTI+s. Let us do our job, write, draw.
"Happy LGBTI+ Pride Month!"
Turkey, which has enforced a ban on pride marches since 2015 and restricted most events associated with Pride Month, has witnessed a troubling surge in anti-LGBTI rhetoric by government officials in recent years.
According to the ILGA Europe Rainbow Index, Turkey ranks as the second-worst country for LGBTI+s, surpassing only Azerbaijan.
Names of the journalists who undersigned the statement:
1. Ahmet Ayva
2. Ahmet Kanbal
3. Ahmet Tirej Kaya
4. Alev Karakartal
5. Ali Kadir Güler
6. Andres Mourenza
7. Arzu Demir
8. Aslı Alpar
9. Aslı Ceren Aslan
10. Avşin Leyla Özgür
11. Ayşegül Özbek
12. Ayşen Güven
13. Ayşenur Dilan Karademir
14. Bahadır Özgür
15. Berivan Altan
16. Berkant Gültekin
17. Beyza Kural
18. Burcu Göknar
19. Canan Coşkun
20. Candan Yıldız
21. Cansu Acar
22. Cansu Erginkoç
23. Céline Pierre-Magnani
24. Cem Gurbetoğlu
25. Cengiz Aldemir
26. Cengiz Anıl Bölükbaş
27. Ceren Bala Teke
28. Ceren Bayar
29. Ceren İskit
30. Ceylan Sağlam
31. Cihan Ölmez
32. Çilem Küçükkeleş
33. Damla Tarhan Durmuş
34. Denizcan Abay
35. Derya Kap
36. Derya Okatan
37. Derya Saadet
38. Devrim Fındık
39. Devrim Orhan Koç
40. Didem Aslan Çetin
41. Dila Ak
42. Dilan Pamuk
43. Dilan Şimşek
44. Dilek Sarıgül
45. Dilek Şen
46. Diren Keser
47. Ece Aydın
48. Ece Toksabay
49. Eda Narin
50. Edanur Tanış
51. Elif Akgül
52. Elifnaz Ay
53. Emel Vural
54. Emre Caka
55. Emre Ünsallı
56. Erdoğan Alayumat
57. Ertürk Yılmaz
58. Esen Dolma
59. Esra Üşüdür
60. Evrim Kepenek
61. Eylem Esen Arabacı
62. Eylem Nazlıer
63. Eylül Deniz Yaşar
64. Fatih Aça
65. Fatma Yörür
66. Fedai Karakeçili
67. Fırat Can Arslan
68. Gamze Rastgeldi
69. Gamzegül Kızılcık Aykanat
70. Gökay Başcan
71. Gözde Çağrı Özköse
72. Gözde Demirbilek
73. Günsu Durak
74. Hale Gönültaş
75. Harun Arslan
76. Hayri Tunç
77. İlknur Karadeniz
78. İrfan Tuncçelik
79. İsmail Arı
80. Kaan Çeltik
81. Kadir Güney
82. Karin Karakaşlı
83. Kemal Avcı
84. Kerim Eren
85. Kültigin Kağan Akbulut
86. Leyla Alp
87. M. İrem Afşin
88. Mahir Bağış
89. Mehmet Emin Kurnaz
90. Melisa Ay
91. Meltem Akyol
92. Meltem İnci
93. Meltem Ulusoy
94. Mert Cengiz
95. Merve Güven
96. Metin Yoksu
97. Mevsim Altay
98. Mühdan Sağlam
99. Murat Kocabaş
100. Mustafa Kara
101. Mustafa Kömüş
102. Mustafa Kuleli
103. Nazlan Ertan
104. Necdet Oktay Apaydın
105. Nedim Türfent
106. Nevin Sungur
107. Nida Kara
108. Nisanur Yıldırım
109. Nurcan Gökdemir
110. Oğulcan Özgenç
111. Okan Yücel
112. Oktay ince
113. Ozan Kaplanoğlu
114. Ozan Ünlükoç
115. Özgür Şengül
116. Özgür Söylemez
117. Özlem Akarsu Çelik
118. Özlem Ateş
119. Pınar Erol
120. Pınar Gayıp
121. Rahmi Yıldırım
122. Rıza Yalçın Koçak
123. Rozerin Tek
124. Ruken Tuncel
125. Sabiha Temizkan
126. Seçil Epik
127. Seda Öz
128. Selahattin Oğuz
129. Selma Koçak
130. Serpil Ünal
131. Serra Akcan
132. Sevgim Denizaltı
133. Sibel Tekin
134. Sibel Yükler
135. Sinem Uğurlu
136. Songül Karadeniz
137. Sultan Eylem Keleş
138. Suzan Demir
139. Tanju Tariz
140. Tolga Balcı
141. Tugay Can
142. Tuğçe Yılmaz
143. Tuğrul Eryılmaz
144. Uğur Şahin
145. Vedat Yeler
146. Yadigar Aygün
147. Yasin Durak
148. Yeşim Dokur
149. Yıldız Tar
150. Yüsra Batıhan
151. Yusuf Belek
152. Yusuf Çakmak
153. Yusuf Tuna Koç
154. Zeynep Kuray
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