HDP deputy co-chair, Azad Barış, issued a written statement to mark the 30th anniversary of the bomb attack on the free press.

"The free press tradition, - said the statement - was created with great devotion to ensure truth will not to remain in the dark. Today this tradition continues despite all repression, intimidation and destruction policies which never stopped being imposed 30 years on.”

A new black page, said the statement, “was added to the history of this country, on the night between 3 and 4 December 1988.

Halk Gerçeği, Yeni Halk Gerçeği, Yeni Ülke, Özgür Gündem, Welat were all papers hit by censorship, repression, bombing and threats. On 28 April 1994, a new newspaper was published, Özgür Ülke.”

The free press tradition, which could not be erased nor silenced by censorship, closing orders and oppression, was tried to be destroyed by a new form of attack, said the statement.

The building of the newspaper in Kadırga, Istanbul, the central office in Cağaloğlu and the Ankara office were attacked simultaneously.

The attacks resulted on the death of newspaper worker Ersin Yildiz and the wounding of 23 free press workers.

Azad Barış added: “Socialist newspapers shown an important example of solidarity with Özgür Ülke newspaper, by opening their offices to its workers.”

The HDP executive recalled that “15 days after the bombing, Özgür Ülke published a ‘secret document’, signed by then Prime Minister Tansu Ciller. In the document it was clearly stated that an attack was to be planned against Özgür Ülke.”

After the bombing of the Özgür Ülke newspaper, no action was taken to ensure the perpetrators of the attack to justice, said the HDP executive, while those injured in the attack were detained after receiving treatment at the hospital.

“The investigation on the perpetrators and the bombing attack, the impunity policies prevailed and nobody was held responsible for 24 years.”

HDP deputy co-chair ended the statement by saying: “We salute the ongoing resistance of the free press tradition.”