ANKARA - Journalist Zemo Ağgöz, who was detained for the news stories she reports at the Mezopotamya Agency, which was her childhood dream, said that they were charged with the facts they revealed.

 

Diren Yurtsever, Editor-in-Chief of the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), who were detained under torture on October 25 as part of the Ankara-based investigation, MA reporters Berivan Altan, Deniz Nazlım, Selman Güzelyüz, Hakan Yalçın, Ceylan Şahinli, Emrullah Acar, and JINNEWS reporters Habibe Eren and Öznur Değer were arrested on the allegation of "being a member in a terrorist organisation" by the court they were brought before midnight on October 29. MA reporter Zemo Ağgöz, who was detained as part of the same investigation, was released under house arrest and Mehmet Günhan, who worked as a trainee in the Ankara office of MA for a while, was released on condition of judicial control.

 

Ağgöz, who became interested in journalism at a young age, influenced by the television channels broadcasting in Kurdish with her mother, took her first step by distributing the newspaper Azadiya Welat, which was closed by the Statutory Decree during her high school education. Ağgöz, who continues her education at Kocaeli University, Faculty of Communication, Department of Journalism, closely follows media organisations that continue the tradition of the Free Press. Ağgöz started her journalism career in 2018 at the Mesopotamia Agency (MA), which she followed the Free Press closely during her student years. Ağgöz, who has been working at the Mesopotamia Agency for 5 years, has reported important news stories in the field of women's journalism and the judiciary.

 

Zemo Ağgöz, who was detained with 10 journalist friends on October 25, was charged with working in MA, where she realized her childhood dream. The money transfers between Ağgöz, whose news and news sources and phone calls were made the subject of accusation, with his family members and friends were also added to the investigation file. Ağgöz, whose news stories and news sources and phone calls were made the subject of accusation and also

money transfers between family members and her friends were also added to the investigation file as a subject of accusation.

 

'I'M A JOURNALIST, I WILL NOT BOW DOWN MY HEAD'

 

Stating that her house was raided by the police at around 06:00 in the morning and that she wanted to call her husband and lawyer, but this was not allowed, Ağgöz said: "After the apartment manager informed, her husband came home and took care of her 45-day-old baby. The police seized digital materials during the house search. They handcuffed me behind my back. They couldn't bow my head down while I was getting into the car, but a policeman said to me that these images to be given to the press, my relatives should not see me, my face will be recognized. I said to him that I had done nothing wrong, that it was okay to see my face, that I would not bow my head, and I was put in the car like that. Then I was taken to the hospital. At the exit of the hospital, they hundcufffed my hands behind my back and the same policeman tried to persuade me to bow my head down. I said I would not bow my head again. There was a female police officer during the detention. Meanwhile, the policewoman said that she was bowing my head down and tried to bow my head. Of course, she couldn't bow my head down because she was the only cop. When I was taken to the place where the fingerprints were taken, the police said, 'We will bow your head, if you don't, at least don't stand up'. This time I shouted and said that I'm a journalist, I won't bow my head down and get in the car. The policeman couldn't bow my head down because he was the only cop. A few policemen  forced our colleagues to bow down, so our colleagues bowed their heads. That's why they couldn't serve my images to the press."

 

'TURKISH STATE TRIED TO PROSECUTE OUR PROFESSION'

 

Stating that her 45-day-old baby Arin's right to food was prevented with her detention, Ağgöz said: "The statement was taken on the second day due to the public's reactions. The statement took 3 hours at the police station. I came across a 25-page statement. There is no criminal element in the police report. They asked for what purpose the money transfers, such as the conversations I had with news sources, the news stories reported and quoted by MA, 200-300 liras that I could use for personal expenses. There was nothing that could be considered a crime. 'Secret witness' statements were also included in the investigation file, but the 'secret witness' made false statements about me. It turned out that 'secret witness' did not know me. For example 'secret witness' spoke about me that I was from prison but I was detained for the first time. As a result, we were faced with the questions that the Turkish state tried to prosecute our profession.”

 

WE HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH THE FACTS WE REVEALED

 

Stating that MA was the first to report on the attack on the Dedeoğulları family, who were attacked on May 12 in Konya and murdered on July 30, and that MA journalists attended all hearings after the massacre, Ağgöz said: "We uncovered the hidden truths about the massacre as an agency. During the hearing held yesterday, those who attacked the Dedeoğulları family were released, but they still tried to ask us questions about the news stories we report about that attack, and to present us as if it was a crime to reveal the truth."

 

MA IS THE ONLY HOME I WRITE THE TRUTH

 

Stating that the attacks against the Free Press have been going on for years, Ağgöz said: "I was aware of these pressures when I started my career. Journalists who write the truth have been trying to be silenced for years. There is a government that commits war crimes and loses. For this, they would try to silence journalists who wrote the truth. We were detained as 11 journalists and 9 of my colleagues are currently in detention. I am a witness to their journalism, and I know that they will continue to pursue the truth. We, the journalists outside, will also entrust the pen of our friends who were arrested. All press organisations, unions and associations should not remain silent in the face of this unlawfulness, because the day will come when they arrest all journalists who are after the truth, they will not be able to find journalists who can write the truth. They need to keep fighting and raise their voices to find journalists who can write their own truths.”