On 19 December, Kurdish journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin were murdered in a targeted drone attack by the Turkish state south of Kobanê. Both had been working for the Kurdish media for many years and were most recently reporting from the Euphrates front about the attacks by the Turkish army and the jihadist alliance SNA on the self-governing Rojava.

On Saturday, press associations based in Turkey wanted to make a public statement in Istanbul against the murder of their colleagues. However, the police forcibly prevented the gathering and detained almost 60 people. One day later, a court of emergency issued arrest warrants against seven journalists and two local politicians from the DEM Party.

Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association (MKG) made a statement protesting the imprisonment of their colleagues with the motto “We will defend journalism”.

The press conference at the IHD (Human Rights Association) Istanbul Branch was also attended by Limter-İş Union, Partizan, Association of Contemporary Lawyers (ÇHD), Platform for Struggle Unity, Women's Time Association, December Feminist Collective, Women Strong Together (KBG), Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), Revolutionary Party, Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF).

'Imprisoned in Turkey, killed in neighboring countries'

Yeni Yaşam newspaper reporter Ezgi Çadırcı stressed that “This will not be the last time Turkey kills journalists with combat drones.” Ezgi Çadırcı noted that the number of journalists who have been killed by Turkish attacks in the last 5 months rose to 5 with the deaths of Yazidi journalist Murad Mirza İbrahim in Shengal and Gülistan Tara and Hero Bahadîn in Sulaymaniyah. Çadırcı stated that while journalists are subjected to violations such as detention, imprisonment, beatings and obstruction in Turkey, they are assassinated by Turkey in neighboring countries and added: “While the profession of journalism is becoming one of the most dangerous professions, mafia barons, drug dealers, women abusers, child abusers and corrupt people move and live in safety. Today, being a journalist in this country is more dangerous than being a mafia baron.”

‘Our colleagues were detained under torture’

Çadırcı pointed out that killing journalists is a war crime and continued, “As if it is not enough that the state targets journalists whose lives it is obliged to protect in conflict zones, it also targets journalists who protest the murder of their colleagues. In Istanbul, our colleagues who were set to make a press statement, which is a constitutional right, were detained under torture by violating all laws and trampling on the constitution. Our journalist friends Gülistan Dursun, Pınar Gayıp, Serpil Ünal, Hayri Tunç, Enes Sezgin, Osman Akın, Can Papila and citizens Hacı Ugis and İmam Şenol were remanded in custody.”

'We will defend the honor of journalism under all circumstances'

Criticizing the release of ISIS defendants in Turkey and the murder of journalists, Ezgi Çadırcı said, “We know that it is the truth that is targeted. Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin were among the main sources that the public has looked to about what has been happening in North-East Syria recently. This is obviously why they were targeted, because the power of truth always frightens the rulers, the governments, because the public discovering the power of truth is the nightmare of every oppressive power. Journalists are the agents of this discovery, and that’s why they are the targets. But we will never give up. We will defend the honor of journalism under all circumstances. Our journalist friends must be released immediately. Long Live the Free Press.”

‘Does the government determine who a journalist is?’

Journalist Mahsum Sağlam, who was detained during the same protest demonstration and was later released, said, “It is clear that Turkey wants to persecute and torture the people by engaging in similar repetitions. Who is a journalist? Does the government determine this? Journalism is a profession criminalized by the AKP-MHP government. Are journalists those who interview the HTS? Our word, our truth is obvious. We are telling our own village what is happening next to our village, behind the mountain. In our latest demonstration, we wanted to protest against the death of our friends who wrote the truth on the battlefield. We experienced ourselves the torture that we have been reporting about.”

‘We will file a criminal complaint’

Esra Kılıç, a member of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), pointed out that two of their members were also detained during the protest and said: “During the detention process, we witnessed reverse handcuffing, torture and insults. Our imprisoned clients were subjected to strip search and torture. We will file a criminal complaint this Friday. We will take all legal remedies against what journalists are facing.”

'Prohibition of torture is violated'

Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul Branch Chair Gülseren Yoleri said: “Those who stand against the dominant policy face judicial pressure, torture and murder. People are detained and jailed on grounds we describe as irrational. Turkey is violating its own laws. The prohibition of torture is violated, and torture is tried to be hidden by arresting those victimized. The punishment of these activities, which are essential for the people's right to information, the people's memory of history, and the struggle for justice, is a heavy blow to the struggle for justice for all of us.”

'Free press will open the gates of freedom'

Emphasizing that the murdered journalists were known for their news reports, DEM Party Member of Parliament Çiçek Otlu said: “When we look at the stories of the murdered friends, we see them in prison and opposing the colonialist police in Kurdistan. How do you know Nazım? When Mother Taybet was murdered on December 19, when her body was left on the street, Nazım announced this truth to the whole public. He conveyed to us the hope for freedom there. Nazım and Cihan were reporting in Rojava to convey the truth to the peoples of the world. All the news reports of the free press will pass through the gates of price and open the gates of freedom.”

'They will not be able to silence the free press'

DEM Party Central Executive Board member Musa Piroğlu stated that all protests regarding the murder of Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin were intervened and said, “Journalists are being arrested, the bar association is being investigated. The whole country is being blockaded. The government, which offers nothing but misery, poverty and decay to the people, is trying to make itself permanent. They want to silence the free press, but they will not be able to silence it. Because members of the free press are the voice of the murdered women, the poor and the workers.”

'They wanted to choke the voice of truth'

Democratic Alevi Association (DAD) Co-President Kadriye Doğan said, “They wanted to choke the voice of truth. While the pens of those who fell are inherited by others, we need to be partners and support them in their struggle. We are faced with a state structure that considers everyone a terrorist.”

‘They are the comrades with whom we have walked shoulder to shoulder’

SGDF Co-Chair Berfin Polat stated that they were acquainted with all the arrested journalists from the streets and said, “When we were also subjected to torture, they were there to report on it. They were activists. They are the comrades with whom we have walked shoulder to shoulder in this struggle. We are facing all kinds of attacks by the state. On December 2, our comrades were arrested for defending Rojava. Immediately afterwards others were arrested for commemorating Cihan and Nazım and carrying their voices to the fields and streets.”

After the speeches, the press conference ended with the slogans “Free press cannot be silenced”.