DİYARBAKIR - A protest was held in front of the Piya and Ari Production building, which has been under police blockade for 6 days, and the detention of 22 people, including 20 journalists. DFG Co-chair Dicle Müftüoğlu said that they will continue their protest until the journalists are released.

 

Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and Mesopotamia Women Journalists Platform (MGKP) made a press statement regarding the detention of 22 people, 20 of who are journalists in front of the Piya and Ari production company building, which has been under police blockade for 6 days. Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Remziye Tosun, Democratic Regions Party (DBP), the Association for Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), Aid, Solidarity,  Unity and Culture Association for Aid and Solidarity with Families Who Lost Their Relatives in the Cradle of Civilizations (MEBYA-DER), Association for Assistance with Families of Detainees and Convicts (TUAY-DER), Mesopotamia Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER), Free Women's Movement(AZAD), Human Rights Association (İHD), Amed Labor and Democracy Platform members and many journalists participated.

 

Speaking at the press release  DFG Co-chair Dicle Müftüoğlu said: " We came together once again to say 'journalism is not a crime'. 22 people, including 20 journalists, were detained with the raids on their homes in Diyarbakır on the morning of June 8. The reasons for the detention of our colleagues, who have been detained for 6 days, are not known due to the restriction decision on the file, and their detention period was extended for another 4 days yesterday."

 

EQUIPMENT WAS CONFISCATED

 

Stating that 22 detainees continue to be held in Diyarbakır Police Department, Müftüoğlu said: "With the operation, agencies and production companies were raided and all equipment was confiscated. With this unjustified confiscation, entrances to these production companies are blocked."

 

THE HOSTILE LANGUAGE OF PRO-GOVERNMENT MEDIA

 

Stating that they were exposed to the attacks of the "pro-government media" as well as the attacks of the government, Müftüoğlu said: "We condemn all media organisations that approach us with the language of the government and target journalists. This language that attacks those who report the truth for the public is a statement of their hatred. We do not accept this language that violates the principles and ethics of journalism."

 

THE RIGHT TO RECIEVE NEWS IS TARGETED

 

Stating that the government, which uses manipulation in all its policies, wants to hide the facts from the society by concealing the war and economic crisis, Müftüoğlu said: "This is why the government is detaining and arresting the journalists. It attacks the truth to conceal the facts."

 

'FREE PRESS HAS ALWAYS RESISTED'

 

Underlining that the free press workers, who have always been the target of attacks, continue to resist and report despite everything, Müftüoğlu said: "Journalists who revealed the truth were the target of Hezbollah and JİTEM in the 90s, and the Gülen congregation in the 2000s. Dozens of Kurdish journalists who tried to report truth to the public under very difficult conditions were killed, newspaper buildings were bombed, hundreds of them were arrested and put in prisons. Today, journalists who report the truth to the world are targeted with the pressure and manipulation applied by the AKP-MHP government. Kurdish journalists have always followed a broadcasting policy against racism, nationalism, reactionism and sexism. As free press  we are the heirs of a line of resistance that always follows the truth, from Ape Musa to Gurbetelli Eröz, from Nujiyan Erhan to Rojhat Aktaş. We will continue to keep this legacy alive despite all the pressures, arrests and detentions."

 

'JOURNALISM CANNOT BE CRIMINALIZED'

 

Journalistic activities of our colleagues who openly report and present programs to the public cannot be criminalized. Journalism is not a crime. We call for the immediate release of our colleagues who have been detained for days for the political purposes of the government. We will continue to organise press releases until our colleagues are released."

 

Müftüoğlu invited everyone to the press release that they will make tomorrow at 13.00 in front of the JINNEWS building in the Yenişehir district.

 

'WE WILL CONTINUE TO REPORT THE TRUTH'

 

Speaking on behalf of the MKGP, Journalist Roza Metina said: "The free press resisted against these attacks. If those who speak the truth in a country are detained, we cannot talk about the law. As the free press, we will continue to report the truth. We will continue to fight against these injustices."