24/02/2025 | Writer: Kaos GL
"Elif, Ercüment and Yıldız are journalists. We are the closest witnesses of this journalism. They were our colleagues who fought for journalism beyond journalism, who grew solidarity."
On 18 February, KaosGL.org Editor-in-Chief Yıldız Tar was arrested by the 6th Criminal Judicature of Peace after being detained from his home in Ankara as part of the operation against the Peoples' Democratic Congress. Erkin Barın Göylüler, who works in the field of LGBTI+ rights, KaosGL.org writer Ayşe Panuş and journalists Elif Akgül and Ercüment Akdeniz are among those arrested.
LGBTI+ organisations and press professional organisations reacted to the arrest decisions.
Ankara Pride Week: Yıldız Tar, our comrade from the lubunya struggle, was unlawfully arrested. This decision taken by restricting the right to defence and distorting concrete evidence is unacceptable. We say again ‘LGBTI+ rights are human rights’ and we cry out with Yıldız ‘In spite of hatred, long live life! Our struggle will continue until Yıldız and all detainees are released!
SPoD: We are here, Yıldız. We are not letting down our guard. Continue the struggle until we get you and everyone unlawfully arrested!
Eskisehir Pride Week: We will not give up the struggle against oppression and persecution for a moment until we get you and all our friends! Get used to it, we are here, we are not leaving! We will not submit to your rotten order! #YıldızTar is our struggle friend and journalism is not a crime!
Velvele: Yıldız Tar is a journalist. Journalism is not a crime! Release our friends!
Colours of Resistance: 30 people, including our friends Erkin and Yıldız, were arrested completely unlawfully. Our friends responded to the decision with slogans and applause. We are used to unlawful arrest decisions, we will never step back. We will continue to grow the struggle. We will not leave our friends in your dungeons!
Istanbul Trans Pride Week: The state that appoints trustees to elected municipalities, prevents us from accessing hormones, bans our marches, targets us every day under the name of family year, arrests elected deputies; is trying to bring human rights defenders into line with hostage politics. While the Fetullahist judge-prosecutors who produced these unlawful evidences are now in the cells begging for justice, the judges and prosecutors of the AKP-MHP government are taking our friends hostage with their lies and unlawful evidences. We are witnesses to the struggle of our friends who do not hold back from showing solidarity with all oppressed segments of society. You cannot criminalise the struggle for peace, political activities and journalism!
LISTAG: Freedom for Yıldız Tar!
Pink Life Association: We stand with our friends on the side of truth against the arrests, including LGBTI+ rights activist Erkin and human rights defender Editor-in-Chief Yıldız Tar! As Yıldız said; Long live life in spite of hate!
HEVI LGBTI+: Release Yıldız and our other friends!
DİSK Basın-İş: 30 people, including our members Elif Akgül and Ercüment Akdeniz and journalist Yıldız Tar, have been arrested! This operation is part of the efforts to suppress and silence social opposition. Journalists defending the people's right to information and citizens exercising their right to organise are threatened with the stick of the judiciary, and when they refuse to submit, they are imprisoned. We will not give in to the oppression policies of the government. We will continue to raise our demand for justice and freedom and to increase the struggle. Our arrested friends must be released immediately!
Dicle Fırat Journalists Association: This reality also troubles those who attack and arrest journalists. Elif, Ercüment and Yıldız are journalists. We are the closest witnesses of this journalism. They were our colleagues who fought for journalism beyond journalism, who fostered solidarity. We did not and do not bow down. We will continue to write the truth. We will continue to struggle until all imprisoned journalists are released.
Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association: The truth cannot be covered up by silencing journalists. A free press is the guarantee of the public's right to information. These repressions target not only the pens that pursue the truth, but also the public's right to enlightenment. Release the imprisoned journalists immediately! Put an end to the crackdown on freedom of the press and freedom of expression! Journalism is not a crime and should never be criminalised. Journalists in pursuit of the truth cannot be silenced.
Reporters Without Borders Turkey Representative Erol Önderoğlu: The arrest of Elif Akgül and Yıldız Tar on the grounds of their political contacts from 14 years ago, which they did not deny publicly, and the house arrest of Ender İmrek is unfair and a clear attack on their years of journalistic activities, they should be released.
Journalists' Union of Turkey: Our colleagues #ElifAkgül, #ErcümentAkdeniz and #YıldızTar were arrested, #Enderİmrek was given a judicial control order not to leave his residence. You cannot arrest journalists who are at the courthouse and in front of the TV every day and slander our colleagues and our profession with the evidence you have re-evaluated from the community judiciary. Release the journalists!
Contemporary Journalists Association: Our colleague and member Yıldız Tar was arrested on the grounds of unlawfully obtained audio recordings. Tar's arrest is unfortunately one of the most ordinary consequences of a political climate where attacks on journalism are so easy. Normalisation of these policies against journalists is never acceptable. We will stand by each and every one of our colleagues who continue their professional struggle to remain silent against all punitive policies.
Tags: human rights, media
