The Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and the Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform (MKGP) condemned the Diyarbakır-based operation, in which dozens of politicians, journalists and artists were taken into custody this morning.
In a statement, the DFG said: "The Free Press has not bowed to bombings, massacres and detention operations for more than 30 years, and it will not,” while the MKGP said that "The Free Press cannot be silenced".
Reacting to the detention of more than 100 people, including Kurdish journalists, the DFG emphasized that attempts to silence the Free Press would remain futile.
The DFG statement said: “As part of an Amed-based operation carried out in 21 provinces, more than 100 people have been detained in police raids. A 24-hour restriction has been imposed concerning the operation, in which many people, including journalists, politicians, lawyers and artists, were detained and their institutions were raided. Our association's director and Xwebûn Newspaper publisher 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 have been detained during the police raids. In the last 10 months, 27 of our colleagues have been detained and arrested in operations against Kurdish journalists. We know that this operation is a continuation of the crackdown on the Free Press and Kurdish journalists.”
DFG pointed out that: “Beyond any doubt, this operation, which was carried out 19 days before the most critical elections in the history of Turkey, is an 'election operation'! These operations that seek to silence the Kurdish people, their politicians, lawyers, artists and journalists must be stopped immediately. The Free Press has not bowed to bombings, massacres and detention operations for more than 30 years, and it will not! Attempts to silence the Free Press will remain futile. You cannot silence us!”
The MKGP also reacted to the police operation in a statement published on its Twitter account, saying: “19 days before the elections, journalists and lawyers and others who expose the crimes of the government are targeted once again. There is no stepping back from now on. #ÖzgürBasınSusturulamaz. (Free Press cannot be silenced)”
