ŞIRNAK - Being released from prison after five years, Journalist Mehmet Güleş said he did not lose his excitement for journalism and told that he will continue where he left off.

 

Mehmet Güleş, a reporter for Dicle News Agency (DİHA), which was closed down with the Statutory Decree, was arrested after in Elazığ in 2016 for his journalistic activities. Güleş, who was released from Karakoçan K1 Type Closed Prison on 13 August after 5 years of imprisonment, told our agency about his experiences. Stating that the Roboski commemoration news, which he did not follow up, was included as a criminal element in his file, Güleş said, "Those who killed 34 people by bombing them from the air, those who made the news while they were outside, and those who shared it on social media were tried and arrested."

 

'I MISSED DOING MY JOB'

 

Asking how it is a crime to speak to sources, Güleş said: "A journalist does not pick stories. The accusations in the indictment were absurd. I missed doing my job when I was in prison. The attacks against the free press continues since the 90's. Many journalists were murdered, arrested. But we did not take one step back. We have to get the truth out there. I understood what this means better when I was in prison."

 

'I HAVEN'T LOST MY EXCITEMENT'

 

Stating that he loved getting the daily newspapers Yeni Yaşam and Evrensel in prison, Güleş said he never lost the excitement of being a journalist in prison.

 

'STRIP SEARCH'

 

Drawing attention to the violations of rights in prison, Güleş said almost all prisoners are being subjected to strip search even though the government says they don't. Güleş said: "I was subjected to this torture myself. Those who resist the strip search are subjected to torture. But there is a strong resistance against torture in prison."

 

'I'LL CONTINUE WHERE I LEFT OFF'

 

Underlining that no matter how much pressure is applied on the free press, the members of the free press never backed off or given up, Güleş said: "Even though there is a lot of pressure on us, the free press have never been silenced and never will. They can't finish us by arresting us. We are strong. Getting the truth out there scares off the darkness. We will continue where we left off."

 

MA / Zeynep Durgut