‘None of us is free when journalists are behind bars’

* Photo: Hikmet Adal / bianet - "Free press cannot be silenced"

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Standing trial over their news and social media messages about the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) official who lost his life in Libya, six arrested journalists had their first hearing today (June 24).

Before their hearing started, politicians, journalists and representatives from civil society organizations staged a protest in front of İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan and demanded justice for the journalists.

Raising concerns about the jailed journalists, the "Have You Heard" Initiative held a statement for the press in front of the courthouse.

The statement was also attended by main opposition CHP MPs Ali Şeker, Tuncay Özkan, Muharrem Erkek, Mahmut Tanal, Gökhan Özbek, Sera Kadıgil, Onursal Adıgüzel, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul MP Hüda Kaya, Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP) İstanbul MP Erkan Baş, independent MP Ahmet Şık, İYİ Party İstanbul Chair Buğra Kavuncu as well as Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) Chair Gökhan Durmuş, DİSK Press Union Chair Faruk Eren, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Representative to Turkey Erol Önderoğlu.

While banners read "Freedom for journalists" and "Journalism is not a crime," people also carried placards that read "We don't fear, we don't hush," "Free press is a tradition of democracy," "Free press cannot be silenced," "If journalist is arrested, you will get no news," "Truths cannot be imprisoned."

Reading out the statement on behalf of the initiative, journalist Mehveş Evin said, "Our colleagues have been captives in Silivri Prison for 112 days based on an empty bill of indictment."

Some highlights from her statement were as follows:

'It was intended as a message for all journalists'

"Everyone knows that we are here today not for a 'case of revealment' or a 'case of espionage.' As it has been the case for several times over the last decade, we are once again together for a journalism case.

"Journalists, our friends and colleagues are faced with unfounded charges that we have witnessed in similar cases before. They have been captives in Silivri Prison for 112 days based on an empty indictment.

"In early march, we watched a scenario of 'Red Monday' in a sense. Plots, traps, troll attacks came after another. When the process started, guillotines were set up on social media and it was disclosed to the media that you all know, those with keen eyes understood what would happen.

"First, they imprisoned Barış Terkoğlu and Hülya Kılınç, then Barış Pehlivan and then Murat Ağırel, Ferhat Çelik and Aydın Keser.

"The plot was hatched and the judgement had already been handed down. What was left for the penal court of peace was to declare what had already been known. And Red Monday was exactly this.

"While our colleagues were deprived of their freedom and sent behind bars amid pandemic, the actual message was intended for us, the journalists outside: 'Don't see, don't hear, don't speak.' They wanted us to play ostrich.

"They wanted to silence, intimidate and scare not only Barış, Hülya, Murat, Ferhat, Aydın and Müyesser, but also us. Did Namık Kemal stay silent? Was Sabahattin Ali or Nazım Hikmet intimidated? Did you ever see Uğur Mumcu or Musa Anter in obedience? Or Hrant Dink and Metin Göktepe? Never.

"Just like our colleagues behind bars, we have never stayed silent, either. Because each one of us is seeking after the truth. We did it so that our people could know the truths and we still do it for the same reason. Even though it is the biggest jailer of journalists in the world, 'land like a precious silk carpet / this hell, this paradise is ours.' That is why, our struggle, our love, our cause, our solidarity with each other will continue.

"It was just yesterday that bar association chairs were not allowed entry to the capital city of Ankara. But they resisted, they struggled and they have won. We believe that justice ultimately reaches its destination no matter how blindfolded it is or no matter how slow it walks.

"We request that the judges be just, take the law as their reference point, listen to their conscience and release our colleagues. You should know that: Justice is the bread and butter of this people. Don't add inequity, injustice and cruelty to this bread and butter.

"As we have been saying since the very beginning, when they are arrested, none of us is free. Free press cannot be silenced. Freedom for all journalists, especially by our fellow journalists put on trial in this case."

HDP's Kaya: Don't impose ban on truths, news

Taking the floor after journalist Mehveş Evin, HDP İstanbul MP Hüda Kaya addressed the crowd and called on the authorities to release the journalists:

"We want equality and freedom to come to life at this square which is called a justice palace. We have once again come together for this. The situation of our country is pathetic. What each one of us strives to do is to lead a humane life. Don't impose bans on truths and news. Don't deprive people of their freedom. Our struggle is for this."

CHP's Özkan: Those making people afraid fear most

After HDP's Kaya, main opposition CHP MP Tuncay Özkan made a brief statement. "We do not want innocence to remain in prison for one more time," Özkan said and briefly stated the following:

"A step needs to be taken back from this immediately. In an environment where innocence and justice have been exhausted to such an extent, it is not possible to find solutions for problems. Tyranny has grown massively. Those who make people afraid fear the most.

"They must be released immediately. All of us have to come together for the future of Turkey. We all together say that journalism is not a crime."

İYİ Party's Kavuncu: Undaunted ones have been jailed

"Real journalism has been imprisoned," İYİ Party İstanbul Provincial Chair Buğra Kavuncu also said in his statement and added:

"The ones who are undaunted in the face of theft and plunder have been imprisoned. It is not possible to talk about the existence of justice in a country where the press is daunted. The cry of justice is the cry of bar association chairs. We stand with all unjustly imprisoned journalists." (HA/SD)