Workers of television networks closed through Statutory Decree in Amed (Diyarbakır) have started a 3-day sit-in in the offices of Journalists Society of the South East (Güneydoğu Gazeteciler Cemiyeti - GGC) to protest the unlawful decree. İMC TV, Van TV and Hayatın Sesi TV workers attended the protest and reacted against the pressure on the press. Many journalists showed solidarity with their colleagues.

“The real coup has been against the press”

İMC TV Amed representative Faruk Balıkçı spoke on the protest and underlined that press freedom is one of the most important signs of democracy in a country. Balıkçı expressed that the journalists in the Kurdish region were prevented from exercising their right to produce news, and the public from their right to information and said that the real coup has been against the press.

“We are protesting for press freedom”

Balıkçı said: “We as the journalists working in the closed media organs and those kept under pressure, protest the decree to close the networks that has left us unemployed, removed our right to produce news and the right of the public to have access to information. We are starting a 3 day sit-in in Amed to defend press freedom. We call on the government to remove the obstacles on press freedom.”

Balıkçı also called on all conscious people to defend press freedom, primarily the journalists.

Hayatın Sesi TV Amed representative Cumhur Daş spoke after the statement and pointed out and condemned the anniversary of the October 10 Ankara Massacre which he said had been the start of the current process.

After the journalists’ statement, their colleagues who were following the protest showed solidarity by putting their cameras, video cameras and microphones on the ground.