The police raided against the bureaus of Dicle News Agency (DİHA) and the daily Kurdish newspaper, Azadiya Welat in Diyarbakır province in southeastern Turkey last night. The raid was protested today.
Press workers, Journalists’ Association of Turkey (TGC), DİSK-affiliated Basın-İş, Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) and Labor Party (EMEP), Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Hüda Kaya, Levent Tüzel and many people attended the protest.
The detention of 32 journalists was condemned, a call was made for protecting the free media.
“Related to the war policy”
DİHA employee Zuhal Atlan:
“War government Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its leader Erdoğan increased the oppression, censorship with armed raids in order to hide his war crimes, death of women and children, old and young people and violations of the law in the Kurdish regions.”
Atlan reminded the website of DİHA has been blocked for 21 times.
“This armed raid inflicted a heavy blow against the freedom of press and freedom of expression in Turkey.”
“We won’t let them hide the truth of this ugly war.
“We won’t let them gerrymander in any provinces of Kurdistan. That’s why, they wanted to shut the free media up before the re-election. (November 1)
“Our traditions and history proved we won’t surrender these kinds of oppression and violence policies. As workers of DİHA and other Kurdish media, we will continue to be the voice of peoples, beliefs and all marginalized social fractions.
If the media is silenced then the society is silenced…
“We remind that the government, judgement and the police executed against the rules. There is no life safety for Kurdish press members now, especially in Kurdistan. Let’s not forget if the media is silenced then the society is silenced.
“We are determined to defend the right to demand information of the society and defend it against all oppressions as before. Finally, we call for all our colleagues to act with solidarity.
Freedom for Journalists Platform (GÖP), interpreted the police raid against DİHA and Azadiya Welat as AKP’s intolerant attitude against freedom of expression and press. (BK/BD)
Click here to read the article in Turkish
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