DİYARBAKIR - Condemning the detention of journalists in the Diyarbakir-based operation, the DFG said: "The Free Press has not bowed to bombings, massacres and detention operations for more than 30 years, and it will not bow down today. MKGP gave the message "Free Press cannot be silenced".

 

Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform (MKGP) condemned the Amed-based operation.

 

Condemning the detention of more than 100 people, including Kurdish journalists, the DFG emphasized that attempts to silence the Free Press were futile.

 

The statement by the DFG is as follows: “As part of the operation carried out in 21 provinces based in Diyarbakir, more than 100 people were detained in a raid on their homes. A 24-hour restriction decision was imposed on the operation, in which many people, from journalists, politicians, lawyers to artists, were detained and their institutions were raided. Our association's director and Xwebûn Newspaper Concession Holder Kadri Esen, Yeni Yaşam Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Osman Akın, journalists Abdurrahman Gök, Ahmet Kanbal, Mikail Barut, Mehmet Yalçın, Mehmet Şah Oruç, Beritan Canözer, Mehmet Yalçın, Salih Keleş, Remzi Akkaya and Arif Akkaya were detained. In the last 10 months, 27 of our colleagues were detained and arrested in operations against Kurdish journalists. We know that this operation is the continuation of the operations aimed at silencing the Free Press and Kurdish journalists.

 

There is no doubt that this operation, which was carried out 19 days before the most critical elections in the history of Turkey, is an 'election operation'! These operations against their politicians, lawyers, artists and journalists must be stopped immediately in order to silence the Kurdish people. Bombings, massacres and detention operations have not bowed down  the Free Press for more than 30 years, and today it will not! These moves to silence the Free Press are futile. You cannot bend the pen of truth. You won't be able to shut up!”

 

MKGP also shared the following message on its twitter account: “19 days before the elections, especially journalists and lawyers, those who expose the crimes of the government are once again targeted. There is no stepping back from now on, as it was until today."