Turkish journalist and anchorwoman Özlem Gürses has been released from house arrest after 52 days. Gürses had been confined to her home with an ankle monitor following charges of "insulting state institutions" and "publicly disseminating misleading information" over comments she made about developments in Syria on her YouTube channel.
Following the lifting of her house arrest, Gürses returned to the Sözcü TV studio today to host her weekday morning program Para Politika focusing on economic and political issues. During her confinement, she had been broadcasting from a mini-studio set up in her home by Sözcü TV.
During today's broadcast, Gürses shared footage of the moment her ankle monitor was removed
Sharing footage of the moment her ankle monitor was removed, Gürses expressed her relief, saying "Freedom is beautiful."
"For the first time in a long while, I stepped outside and came to work. I want to thank the Sözcü TV management, my colleagues, the newsroom, my guests, our viewers, and the entire technical and editorial team for their support during these 52 days. They never left me alone, even for a second," she further said.
The charges against Gürses stemmed from a broadcast in which she commented on shifts in territorial control in Syria in December, when Turkey backed forces captured the land controlled by the Baath regime and had clashes with Kurdish groups. She referred to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK), the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) and the Islamic State (ISIS) in the same context, saying, "The ISIS structure, that is, the TSK-SNA structure, has made small gains in Kurdish-populated areas."
In her statement to the prosecutor, Gürses maintained that her words had been taken out of context. "It may have been a slip of the tongue, or I may have failed to connect my sentences properly," she said. "I had no intention—nor would I ever intend—to portray the Turkish Armed Forces as linked to a terrorist organization. I am deeply sorry for any misunderstanding." (VK)