DİYARBAKIR - Condemning the detention of journalists and stating that they have been getting the truth to the people with the same determination for years, the DFG and MKGP said: "You have not been able to silence the free press for 50 years and you will not be able to do it now."

 

Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform (MKGP) made a press statement in front of the DFG building regarding the journalists detained with house raids early in the morning. Journalists from the DFG, MKGP, Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS), as well as representatives of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır Provincial Organisation participated in the press release. DFG Co-chair Dicle Müftüoğlu read the statement, in which the slogans “The free press cannot be silenced” were shouted frequently.

 

Müftüoğlu said that many journalists, including DFG Co-chair Serdar Altan, Jîn News Director Safiye Alagaş and Mesopotamia Agency editor Aziz Oruç, were detained during the house raids and also the phones and digital materials of the detainees were seized, and the computer hard disks of the agency were seized during the raid on Jinnews' office.

 

'WE WILL NOT SUBMIT'

 

Pointing out that a new attack and intimidation process was put into effect as the pro-media served the detentions under the name of "Press Committee Structure", Müftüoğlu said: "The news, programs and comments on Sterk TV and Medya News TV channels are cited as justifications for the accusations against our colleagues. The news and publications made by our journalist colleagues are made openly to the public. However, they are trying to show that they are hiding something. It should be known that all of these allegations about our journalist colleagues are fake. We remind that journalist is responsible for the news they report not for the editorial policy of the institution.  We are aware of the fact that new operations will be coming due to the war policies against the Federated Kurdistan Region and Northern and Eastern Syria. It is obvious that Kurdish journalists are tried to be silenced as part of the political, economic and social oppression carried out against the Kurds.”

 

THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SILENCE FREE PRESS

 

“From past to present, we continued to be the voice of the Kurdish people, the peoples living in Turkey, the workers, children, women, beliefs and all others. Against this oppressive mentality, we have been getting the truth to people with the same determination for 50 years. You have not silenced the free press for 50 years, and you will not be doing it now. Journalism is not a crime, so our journalist colleagues should be released immediately."

 

'PRESSIORS DID NOT GET RESULT '

 

TGS Diyarbakır Representative Mahmut Oral started his speech by commemorating Hafız Akdemir, on the anniversary of the day he was killed. Oral said: “When we look at the past, we immediately realize that the Kurdish press is the first place the governments attack whenever the government gets stuck. Today, our colleagues were detained just for this reason. The pressures against journalists have not got any results until now, and they will not get any results from now on."