DİYARBAKIR - DFG and MKGP which made a press statement in front of JİNNEWS building that was raided by the police, said: "We will continue to be the voice of truth", and demanded the journalists to be released.

 

A press statament was made by Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform (MKGP) in front of the JİNNEWS building in the Ofis district of Diyarbakır, that was raided by the police on June 8, regarding the 22 people 20 of whom are journalists who were detained.

 

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Democratic Regions Party (DBP), Lawyers Association for Freedom (ÖHD), Association for Solidarity and Culture with Families Who Lost Their Relatives in the Cradle of Civilizations (MEBYA-DER), Association for Assistance with Families of Prisoners and Convicts (TUAY-DER), Mesopotamia Language, Culture and Research Association (MED-DER), Free Women's Movement (TJA), Human Rights Association (İHD), Amed Labor and Democracy Platform members and many journalists participated in the press release.

 

MKGP Spokesperson Roza Metîna read the statement in Kurdish, and the Turkish version was read by JINNEWS editor Bêritan Canözer. Stating that the AKP-MHP government, which has dragged the country into the abyss with its war policies at home and abroad, has been trying to silence, intimidate and scare all segments of society with the assistance of the judiciary for a long time, Canözer said that the government targets those who oppose war, violence and oppression.

 

'THEIR AIM IS TO MAKE OUR AGENCIES NONFUNCTIONAL'

 

Expressing that the journalists, who are the voice of those defending peace and freedom against war, oppression and violence, and who expose the policies of the government, suffered from these pressures as well as anyone in the country, Canözer reminded that 22 people, 20 of whom were journalists, were detained with raids on their homes and offices on June 8. Stating that the detained journalists have been held in Diyarbakır Security Directorate for 7 days, Canözer said that it is not known what the journalists were accused of. Canözer said, “However, as it can be understood from the information provided by the police, our colleagues are currently in detention only because of their journalistic activities. In addition, the production buildings where our colleagues work are still under police blockade. They claim that they are still searching the offices on the seventh day. This unprecedented situation shows that the main purpose of the government is to silence the Free Press and make it nonfunctional."

 

RAID ON JINNEWS  

 

Reminding the raid on JINNEWS, Canözer told that JINNEWS was established with the slogan, "We write regardless of what men are thinking about it" and underlined that it is the voice of the free woman despite all difficulties the agency faces. Reminding that the AKP-MHP government is building new means of pressure on the women's struggle every day in order to hide the "political murders" against women from the public and to silence the voice of free women, Canözer said, “Kurdish women journalists are being targeted by the government. We saw once again in the operation on June 8 that the government is afraid that the truth will come out and reach the society. It doesn't like anyone to raise their voices against it. Yes, we know that fascism fears the free voice the most. When the people who were punished for a period for "whistling in Kurdish" started to organise and express themselves, and when they exposed this unlawfulness, the free press was targeted with different excuses. This still continues. But we have no doubt that it is  journalism that is targeted."

 

CALL FOR THE RELEASE OF THE JOURNALISTS

 

Reminding that many journalists are still on trial, Canözer said that many of her colleagues are in prison. Stating that journalism was criminalised in all of the trials, Canözer said, “We know very well what the purpose of this operation was. Therefore, we reiterate that we will continue to be the voice of the truth, no matter how much you criminalise journalism or how much pressure you apply, and we call for the release of all our friends as soon as possible."

 

The press release ended with the slogans "Free press cannot be silenced".