MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed- Since July ,26 journalists, including 10 women journalists, have been jailed in Turkey. The journalists, who were detained and jailed as part of an investigation launched in Ankara, were subjected to torture and mistreatment. Reacting to the increasing attacks on journalists in Turkey, women journalists said, “The ruling party targets journalists in order that journalists would not reveal the truth.  

Speaking about recent arrest of journalists, Mesopotamia Agency (MA) editor Arjin Dilek Öncel recalled that 26 journalists have been jailed in Turkey in the last five months and said that the jailed journalists were subjected to torture and mistreatment in detention. Underlining that the jailed journalists sent messages from prison and they said that they would continue to do journalism despite being kept behind bars, Arjin Dilek Öncel said that the jailed journalists will be released by a struggle waged for their release.

“The ruling party launches an operation against journalists whenever it gets stuck”

Arjin Dilek Öncel thinks that the AKP government first targets journalists and launches an operation against journalists whenever it gets stuck, “In July, the ruling party launched an arrest operation against journalists because the country was again drifting into chaos and people reacted to the economic crisis. Due to the AKP's war policies, people could no longer breathe. During the last arrest, an operation launched by the AKP government against journalists was because Turkey is accused of using chemical weapons. The government targeted everyone who asked for an investigation to be launched into the alleged use of chemical weapons. The free press reporting the use of chemical weapons were targeted. As everyone knows, the AKP-MHP government first targets journalists whenever it gets stuck.”

“We will not take a step back”

Pointing out that the AKP government never changes, Arjin Dilek Öncel said that the current policies could not make them take a step back. Noting that they will be in solidarity with the jailed journalists, she said, “We will keep struggling for our jailed colleagues. We will do our best for their release.”

“They are jailed because they are the voices of Kurdish people”

Jinnews Editor Münevver Karademir said that the government wants to silence society and that it first targets journalists first to silence everyone in the country. Speaking about the last attacks on Kurdish journalists, she said, “The government attacks the free press because it reveals the truth. As journalists, we never bow to such attacks and never remain silent against such attacks. Until now, we struggled against oppression and pressure and we will keep struggling. For years, the free press has faced exile, arrest and all kinds of crackdowns. Kurdish journalists are arrested and jailed because they reveal rights violations and they are the voices of Kurdish people. Despite everything, we will keep writing and revealing the truth.”

“Despite everything, we will keep writing”

Journalist Hülya Baytur also talked about the recent arrest of journalists.

“Our colleagues are jailed because they write the truth. They (the government) do everything to make us take a step back from our struggle for truth. This is an unacceptable situation. We will keep writing and reporting despite the arrest. The journalists are targeted because they report on persecution against Kurdish people. Despite everything, we will keep writing and reporting.”