The attacks by the AKP-MHP government on Free Media workers are intensifying. The government, which seeks to prevent the truth from reaching the people, is killing journalists, detaining and imprisoning them, and imposing access bans on digital media accounts and websites. 

Arjin Dilek Öncel, a board member of the Mesopotamian Women Journalists Association (MKG), told ANF: "As journalists, we wake up to new detention operations almost every day. On January 17, another dawn operation was carried out, and journalists' homes were raided. During this operation, six of our colleagues were detained and subsequently arrested. We can say that attacks on the Free Press have systematically increased since 2020. Especially with two major operations in 2022, approximately 27 journalists were detained, many of whom were later arrested.

Every raid, operation, and investigation is essentially an attempt to obstruct the public's right to access information. Why does the government target the Free Media? As you know, there has been a prolonged attack on the Kurds through dirty war policies. Specifically, there are ongoing attacks targeting Northern and Eastern Syria. There is a reality of a government persisting with these war policies. At the same time, there is a reality of the Free Media, which reveals these war policies to the public in detail and exposes all their violations. For this reason, the government targets the Free Media in an effort to obscure the truth."

We will continue to do our job

Arjin Dilek Öncel emphasized that the pressures on Free Media activities continue systematically and stated: "In a country where violence against women exists, where children are subjected to sexual abuse in religious community homes, the Free Press will undoubtedly be there to expose these violations. In a country where there is war, and the economy suffers as a result, the Free Press, along with journalists who call themselves neutral, will undoubtedly report on it and inform the public. One of the main reasons why the Free Press is targeted is its coverage of the government's war policies and its dirty attacks. 

So, what are journalists doing in response? Very recently, two of our journalist friends were killed in a drone (UCAV) strike by Turkey in Northeastern Syria. Despite the word 'press' being visibly displayed on their vehicle, our friends Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin were deliberately targeted and killed. When we look at the work of our friends, we can understand why they were targeted because they were exposing war crimes in that region. For this reason, they were targeted and killed. Even though our friends were murdered, journalists and Free Press workers continue chasing stories and being present wherever violations occur, showing that the messages the government aims to send are not having much effect.

Today, perhaps six more of our friends have been arrested, but there are countless other press workers who will continue their work. "

The importance of solidarity

Highlighting the significance of solidarity in the face of all pressures and arrests, Arjin Dilek Öncel said: "As Kurdish journalists and Kurdish women journalists, we have long criticized the 'but' and 'however' approaches of various media organizations towards the violations of rights we face. There has been some response to our criticisms. Particularly during the operations in 2022, a sense of solidarity emerged. Journalists in Turkey showed solidarity with Kurdish journalists. This was very meaningful and important. Previously, there were efforts to criminalize our work. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just the government that did this; sometimes friends working in other media organizations adopted similar approaches.

Wherever there are violations of rights, Free Press workers will be there. Many of our friends have been killed while pursuing stories. At this point, solidarity becomes incredibly important. Kurdish journalists have always been a target of the government since the 1990s. For this reason, solidarity with Kurdish journalists is critical. If they are trying to silence us today, tomorrow it will be someone else’s turn. This is because this government acts according to its own interests and will target any journalist who writes against those interests."