URFA -  YRA Co-chair Dilyar Cizirî said that 756 journalists were killed in Syria in the last 11 years, along with ANHA reporter Isam Ebdullah, who lost his life in Turkey's attacks.

 

Hawar News Agency (ANHA) reporter Îsam Ebdullah was murdered while he was trying to inform the public about what happened in Turkey's airstrikes on Northern and Eastern Syrian cities on November 20. According to the data of the Free Press Association (Yekitiya Ragihandina Azad/YRA), the number of journalists who have lost their lives since 2011, when the civil war broke out in Syria, increased to 756 with the murder of Ebdullah.

 

38 JOURNALISTS MISSING

 

YRA Co-Chair Dilyar Cizirî said that journalists were among those targeted in order to hide the truth from the public. Pointing out that 756 journalists have lost their lives in the attacks of the Assad regime, ISIS, Turkey and Russia, Cizirî shared the information that 38 journalists have disappeared in the areas under the control of Turkey and affiliated paramilitary forces. "Most of the massacres took place under the control of the Damascus government. 532 journalists disappeared in areas under the control of the Damascus government," said Cizirî. Cizîrî stated that 29 journalists have been killed in the bombardment of Russian warplanes so far.

 

5 ANHA REPORTERS KILLED

 

Stating that Said Ahmed, Mihemmed Resho and Isam Abdullah are some of the journalists who lost their lives in the recent attacks, Ciziri noted that 5 reporters of ANHA, which started its activities in 2013, were killed in this process. Cizirî told that journalists Dilişan Ibiş, Rizgar Adanmış and Hogir Mihemmed were killed as they were fleeing from ISIS in Deir ez-Zor with a bomb that was detonated in their car and ÇIRA TV reporter Mihemmed Hisen Reşo and Îsam Ebdullah were killed in the Turkish attacks. Cizirî also said that many journalists were injured in these attacks.

 

CALL FOR PRESS ORGANIZATIONS

 

Ciziri pointed out that the government of Damascus, paramilitary groups and Turkey are attempting to kill the journalists and stressed that international journalist organizations should raise their voice against this situation.

 

Cizirî said, "Until now, international press organizations have been silent against the attacks against journalists. Press organizations that defend journalists turn a blind eye to the attacks of Turkey. We condemn this. This silence shows that these institutions support Turkey and its gangs. They should protect the journalists. They should break this silence." Ciziri also called on Turkey to "stop policies of war and stop targeting journalists".

 

THERE ARE 1450 JOURNALISTS IN ROJAVA

 

Cizirî pointed out that press activities started in Northern and Eastern Syria after 2011, and stated that 119 press organizations have representatives here. Ciziri stated that there are approximately 1,450 press workers in these organizations and said, "We can say that this is the first time in Syria that there is such a large community of journalists. More than 360 of them are free press workers."

 

MA / Müjdat Can