The political genocide operations directed against Kurdish journalists, politicians, artists, lawyers and trade unions in Amed, Ankara and Istanbul continue to draw reactions. Hundreds of citizens, journalists and politicians were detained, and dozens of them were imprisoned during the latest wave of political genocide operations initiated by the AKP government.

Speaking to ANF, Gülcan Kaçmaz Sayyiğit and Havin Kiye, female deputy candidates for the Green Left Party in Van province, defined the recent mass arrests as political genocide attacks.

Gülcan Kaçmaz Sayyigit reacted to the detention of hundreds of people, including party leaders, journalists, artists, lawyers and representatives of non-governmental organizations during the Amed-centred police raids on the eve of the elections on May 14. She said: “We know that these operations are political and have nothing to do with legal procedures. Their aim is to intimidate the Kurds before the elections and to eliminate election security in the region. There have been many similar operations before, but the Kurdish people will never back down from the struggle for democracy, peace and freedom. In spite of those who try to intimidate us with detentions and arrests, we continue our election campaign. We will work against these anti-democratic practices and give the necessary response on May 14. No one should doubt that.”

FREE PRESS WILL WIN, ARTISTS WILL WIN

Havin Kiye noted that they had faced repression, detentions and arrests during the course of all previous elections. She stated: “Those detained recently are lawyers, journalists and artists who defend Kurdish rights. They did this on the eve of the elections because they want to intimidate society. We have been through such operations many times and we have been detained many times, but we eventually won. Truth, free press and our artists won.”

Kiye continued: “One of those arrested is artist Devrim Deniz. He was arrested on the grounds that the election campaign song he composed constitutes a crime. Another one of those arrested is Abdurrahman Gök. He is a journalist who revealed how Kemal Kurkut was murdered by the police. Despite all the pressures, Mezopotamya Agency reports on behalf of the Kurdish public. A detention warrant has been issued for other reporters of the agency today.”

“These journalists made news about the Kurdish villagers who were thrown off a helicopter by Turkish soldiers. They reported about the Roboski Massacre. That's why we are so grateful to them. Furthermore, lawyers have been arrested. Those lawyers were set to work for security throughout the elections. These pressures will never make us fall into despair. The elections will be held very soon. The government launched these political genocide operations because it knows that it will be defeated. They are terrified. On May 14, we will make them taste that fear.”