DFG Co-Chair Altan: There is no free society without a free press

2022-12-12 11:56:15


	 

	NEWS CENTER - Stating that their indictment has not been prepared even though it has been 6 months since their arrest and calling for solidarity, DFG Co-Chair Serdar Altan said: "It should be known that without a free press, there can be no free society, and success cannot be achieved without solidarity."

	 

	22 people, including 20 journalists, were taken into custody in the operation held in Diyarbakır on June 8. 22 people were transferred to Diyarbakır Courthouse on June 16 after 8 days of detention. Journalists referred to the court after the prosecution statements, JINNEWS Director Safiye Alağaş, DFG Co-chair Serdar Altan, MA Editor Aziz Oruç, Xwebûn Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Ali Ertaş and journalists Zeynel Abidin Bulut, Ömer Çelik, Mazlum Doğan Güler, İbrahim Koyuncu, Neşe Toprak, Elif Üngür , Abdurrahman Öncü, Suat Doğuhan, Remziye Temel, Ramazan Geciken, Lezgin Akdeniz and Mehmet Şahin were arrested on charges of "being of a membership in a terrorist organisation". Journalists Gülşen Koçuk, Esmer Tunç, Mehmet Yalçın, Kadir Bayram, Feynaz Koçuk and İhsan Ergülen were released after judicial control.

	 

	Serdar Altan, co-chairperson of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), who has been held in Diyarbakır High Security Prison No. 2 since June 16, wrote an article about the 6th month of their arrest.

	 

	Pointing out that the indictment has not been prepared despite the elapsed time, Altan's article is as follows; “We greet everyone from Diyarbakır High Security Prison No. 2, where we are detained, with respect and love. We would like to express our gratitude to all friends and comrades who have been with us for months and have made an effort for our freedom.

	 

	As it is known, 6 months have passed since the operation carried out against us and the institutions we work with. Unfortunately, we have been held within four walls for 6 months, deprived of our freedom. After the unlawful operation, the chain of unlawfulness resulted in our arrest. During the detention period that we were held for 8 days, baseless accusations were tried to be made against us, and when this could not be successful, a confidentiality order was brought to our file and the truth was tried to be hidden, the facts were tried to be left in the dark. The cameras and computers confiscated in the institutions were tried to be presented as 'criminal tools' and tried to cover up their efforts to criminalize journalists with this; however, this situation could not go beyond being funny and making fun of people's minds. Ultimately, 16 journalists out of 22 detained were arrested without even knowing what they were accused of, our raided institutions were unlawfully besieged for a month, and the work of our friends who remained behind was prevented.

	 

	 THE NUMBER OF IMPRISONED JOURNALISTS  INCREASE DAY BY DAY

	 

	We have stated that 6 months have passed since all these unlawfulnesses. So, what happened in the country in the last 6 months? Did our arrest help things get better, did things get better? On the contrary, after we were arrested, the situation of the country, which was already bad, became even worse. Freedom of thought and expression declined as much as possible. Investigations, lawsuits and punishments against journalists continued increasingly. The number of imprisoned journalists increased day by day. Finally, 9 more of our journalist friends were arrested in the Ankara-based operation. The final move was made to the attempts to subjugate not only journalists but also the entire society with the 'Disinformation Law' passed by the Parliament. Now, every citizen who wanted to express his opinions and thoughts on any subject was threatened. As seen in the example of TTB President Şebnem Korur Fincancı, the slightest statement or criticism that they do not like will bring such an orientation.

	 

	THE STATE COVERS THE TRUTH

	 

	All of these reveal more clearly why they so recklessly turn towards us, that is, to all journalists as a whole. All this is wanted not to be seen or heard. They want the truth to be obscured and they are covering up the truth. When the state subdues and neutralises journalists, things get easier, and society becomes open to manipulation. That's why we've been imprisoned for 6 months, that's why tens of our friends have been held in dungeons for years, that's why hundreds of journalists are tried and punished. To sum up,  there is no free society without a free press.

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