ANKARA - Police in Ankara forced the journalists lay on the ground and handcuffed them behind their backs and sat on them after pointing long barrelled guns at the journalists while insulting the journalists.

 

Many houses were raided in Ankara, Istanbul, Van, Diyarbakir, Urfa and Mardin as part of the investigation carried out by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against journalists. In addition, Ankara office of the Mesopotamia Agency (MA) was raided. MA Editorial Director Diren Yurtsever, MA Ankara Office Editor-in-Chief Deniz Nazlım, MA reporters Selman Güzelyüz, Zemo Ağgöz, Berivan Altan, Hakan Yalçın, Emrullah Acar and Ceylan Şahinli were detained during raids. In addition, JINNEWS reporters Habibe Eren, Öznur Değer and Derya Ren were also detained.

 

It was learned that Derya Ren was taken into custody as part of a different investigation.

 

AKARSEL'S PHOTO WAS TORN FROM THE WALL

 

The search in the MA Ankara office continues. Photographs of journalists who were murdered in the 1990s were confiscated in the blockaded office. In addition, the photo of Nagihan Akarsel, the editor of the Jineology magazine and journalist, who was murdered as a result of an armed attack in Slemani was torn.

 

THREATS, BATTERY, INSULTS…

 

The houses of journalists in Ankara were also raided within the scope of the file with a restriction decision. The police broke the doors of the houses with a ram and aimed long-barreled weapons at the journalists. Berivan Altan and the journalists with her were handcuffed behind their backs and held on the ground for a long time. It was learned that the police sat on the journalists they had laid on the ground and insulted and cursed them.

 

It was stated that a policeman threatened journalist Berivan Altan and said, "I know what I will do to you, you will see when we het to the police station".

 

ARE YOU TURKISH?'

 

At the entry of another house they raid, the police shouted at the face of a MA employee and asked if she is Turkish, insulting and pointing his gun at her.

 

THE EQUIPMENTS OF JOURNALISTS WERE CONFISCATED

 

The police confiscated computers, notebooks, newspapers,  magazines in Kurdish, ID cards and more than 100 books found in the house.