The perpetrators of the murder of Orhan Karaağar, a distributor of Özgür Gündem newspaper, who was murdered in Wan (Van) 32 years ago, have not been uncovered despite the 32 years that have passed. Orhan Karağar (30), who was murdered on 19 January 1993 with a gun after being tortured with iron bars, was arrested during the 12 September Military Coup. He was imprisoned in Diyarbakır Military Prison No. 5 for two and a half years, and after his release he took part in the establishment of the Wan branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD). In 1991, Karaağar started working for Özgür Gündem newspaper and despite receiving dozens of death threats, he continued his work, saying "I will distribute the newspaper as long as I exist". Murdered on 19 January 1993 in the city centre of Wan, Karaağar continued to distribute the newspaper uninterruptedly until the day he was murdered.

 

'WE DISTRIBUTED THE NEWSPAPER WITH OUR OWN MEANS'

 

Speaking about Karaağar on the anniversary of his death, his colleague, journalist Xeyrî Çelik, said that he had met Karaağar in Wan, where he had travelled to work when he was the regional representative of Özgür Halk magazine. Çelik said, "At that time, there was a serious problem in the newspaper distribution system in Turkey. A vehicle belonging to Birleşik Basın was burnt down in Bedlis (Bitlis). After that, the distribution of the newspaper was stopped. However, we continued the distribution with our own means. Since Wan was centrally located, we searched for an alternative system for the distribution of the newspaper. It was during this period that Orhan Karaağar and I met. Orhan was already the distributor of Özgür Halk magazine. Together with Orhan, we undertook the distribution of the newspaper."

 

Stating that Karaağar had a social and political character, Çelik emphasised that Karaağar contributed to the work in a self-sacrificing way and said, "He made a great effort in the work he started in October until January when he was martyred. We used to distribute the newspaper to Wan subscribers within an hour and send packages to the regional provinces. In order to do this, we needed a very hardworking person. Orhan would distribute the newspapers all over Wan within an hour until we prepared the packages, and then send the packages we prepared to other provinces in the region."

 

Reminding that the intensity of the conflicts increased in 1992, Çelik stated that the Kurdish Freedom Movement spread everywhere and the state intensified its paramilitary forces in Kurdistan after the uprising of the people. Çelik said, "At that time, the state had massed all its paramilitary and special forces in Kurdistan. There was an embargo in many parts of Kurdistan, when you went to a village you had to pass through several checkpoints and you could be prevented by arbitrary practices. The population faced many threats. It was a period when counter-guerrillas were massed in the cities. Every day hundreds of patriots were either kidnapped or murdered in an unknown manner. In some regions there was Hizbulkontra, but in Wan, JİTEM (Gendarmerie Intelligence Unit) was particularly active. JİTEM had infiltrated the movement through confessors and was exposing people."

 

Çelik stated that journalists were targeted during this period and said, "We journalists were targeted in an organised way because we were at the forefront of this process. Orhan was involved in such a process, he was threatened many times, but he never compromised his stance and struggle."

 

 

Reminding that Apê Musa (Musa Anter) was murdered shortly before Karaağar's assassination, Çelik stated that Karaağar's loyalty increased even more after Apê Musa's assassination.

 

'ORHAN KARAAĞAR WAS MURDERED BY 8 PEOPLE'

 

Çelik emphasised that they had suspended the distribution of the newspaper for a while shortly before Karaağar was murdered and stated that Karaağar had gone to Erdîş to collect the money for the newspaper. Underlining that Karaağar was also subjected to threats in Erdîş, Çelik added, "His work ended very late, I contacted him and asked him to stay in a safe place so that he wouldn't set off late. After making this decision, we dispersed and went home. At around 09.20 pm, we were informed that Orhan had been murdered. They had murdered Orhan in such a way that it was not obvious that the state had murdered him. They made it look like 'drug dealers' had shot him. He was taken to a construction site by 7-8 people and tortured with iron skewers for a long time."

 

Stating that the Free Press struggle in which Karaağar was involved was taken over by Cihan and Nazım today, Çelik said that Nazım and Cihan were also murdered for the same purpose. Çelik stated that Turkey's approach to the Free Press in 1992 has not changed today.

 

Çelik said, "The Turkish state approaches the Free Press in the same way today as it did in the 1990s. Since that day, the Free Press continues to follow the truth. Those who lived through that period continue to pursue the truth today. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our martyred friends, but the main thing is to follow in their footsteps and protect the legacy they left behind. Our new friends continue to take over the struggle of our martyred friends from where they left off."

 

MA / Ruken Polat