ANKARA - HDP Vice Co-Chair Tayip Temel said, "We will know the truth as long as they write it and we'll hold those responsible to account" and celebrated the World Press Freedom Day.

 

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Vice Co-Chair Tayip Temel made a written statement regarding the May 3 World Press Freedom Day. Temel underlined that Turkey has gotten to an even worse place in terms of freedom of press 18 years after the day was accepted as World Press Freedom Day.

 

Stating that the government uses journalism and press for slendering people, creating conspiracies and spread disinformation, Temel said: "Journalism in Turkey have become a profession in which a journalist has to risk being arrested, being unemployed or even get killed. Today, Turkey ranks 153th among 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index of the International Organization of Reporters Without Borders (RSF). As in all authoritarian countries, torture, violence against women, human's rights violations, exploitation and corruption is being covered up. The most effective way to do it is to silence the free press and strengthen the pro-government media. We will not allow this to happen.

 

TORTURE ON PROTESTERS IN MAY DAY WAS REVEALED DESPITE THE CIRCULAR OF THE POLICE

 

Stating that the torture of those who want to celebrate May 1 could not be concealed despite the unlawful circular of the Police Department, Temel pointed out the following: "Because the real journalists was in the field following the May Day celebrations, not those who read what the government tells them to read. The journalists who do their job fearlessly without being intimidated by the police was on the field following May Day celebrations. The journalists who write about strip search, torture, those who go after the lost 128 billion dolars, those who question the aim of the cross border operations, those who do not remain silence to the civillian deaths, those who expose poverty are the hope of the peoples. We will know the truth and hold those responsible to account as long as they write."