ANKARA - Stating that the torture Osman Şiban and Servet Turgut were subjected to is being covered up by the government, HDP Van MP Murat Sarısaç said that this cover up is the reason why the government targeted journalists.

 

Mesopotamia Agency reporters Adnan Bilgen and Cemil Uğur, and Jinnews reporter Şehriban Abi and journalist Nazan Sala who broke the story about Osman Şiban and Servet Turgut who were thrown from a helicopter by some soldiers carrying out an operation in the Çatak district of Van, are still detained. Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Van MP Murat Sarısaç, who has been following the events since the beginning, stated that the government is trying to cover up the torture with all its efforts.

 

IT'S A REQUIREMENT OF JOURNALISM

 

Stating that the soldiers and the police resorted to all kinds of unlawfulness to avoid the public knowing the truth, Sarısaç said: "They did it to influence the judiciary and to prevent the public from learning the facts. Mesopotamia Agency reporters broke this story and they helped the public learn about it. This is a requirement of journalism.  Since the AKP-MHP has monopolized the pool media, they do not want anyone to act outside of it. Moreover, the AKP -MHP bloc is trying to silence and lock people away with fabricated evidence who do not obey them."

 

MA WAS TARGETED

 

Reminding that these journalists were targeted at the raid on the wake of Servet Turgut, Sarısaç said: "Our MPs went to the family house when Turgut died to pay their respects. They wanted to silence us there. Both Servet Turgut's brother Naif Turgut and our MPs. Later they said 'Mesopotamia Agency can not be here'. I mean, they told us they will not let us speak while MA was there, recording. Right then and there we figured out that they were targeted. Free press is always targeted in Kurdistan. Its reporters are being threatened and harassed."

 

Stating that they prepared a report into the torture of Şiban and Turgut with the medical files proving they were thrown from a helicopter, Sarısaç said they will send the report to both national and international institutions to be investigated.