26/11/2024 | Writer: Kaos GL
A large number of rights defenders, journalists, politicians and writers, including SPoD's Berfin Atlı and bianet's Tuğçe Yılmaz, were detained in a police operation in several cities.
Many people, including rights defenders, journalists, writers, translators, politicians, directors and cartoonists, were detained in house raids in Diyarbakır, Istanbul, Ankara and Batman.
While information on the reasons for the detentions was not available due to a restriction order on the files, the Ministry of Interior stated that 231 people were detained. The Ministry's statement read as follows:
“In coordination with Adana, Adıyaman, Amasya, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Bitlis, Bursa, Çanakkale, Denizli, Diyarbakır, Düzce, Elazığ, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Hakkari, İstanbul, İzmir, Kars, Karaman, Kocaeli, Malatya, Manisa, Mardin, Mersin, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Tekirdağ and Van Chief Public Prosecutor's Offices and General Directorate of Security TEM and Intelligence Directorate; ‘GÜRZ-27’ operations were organized as a result of the studies carried out by Provincial Security Directorates TEM Branch Directorates.”
bianet editor Tuğçe Yılmaz and SPoD's Berfin Atlı are also detained!
Among those detained are bianet reporter and editor Tuğçe Yılmaz and LGBTI+ activist Berfin Atlı from SPoD.
Istanbul LGBTI+ Pride Week Committee made the following statement about the detention of Tuğçe Yılmaz:
"Among the detained journalists is Tuğçe Yılmaz, a journalist who is always with us LGBTI+'s and never stops turning her frame in our favor despite all the obstacles. You will not silence the free press! Release Tuğçe Yılmaz!"
SPoD issued the following statement on the detention of Berfin Atlı:
"This morning, our feminist and LGBTI+ rights defender colleague Berfin Atlı was detained from her home in an operation against journalists. It is clear who our friend is, what she does, where she lives and it is unacceptable that she was detained in a house raid. We stand by our colleague against these pressures on democratic institutions and rights defenders. We demand that the confidentiality decision taken within the scope of the investigation be lifted quickly and our friend's lawyers be informed, and we follow the process legally."
Co-mayor among those detained
Cengiz Dündar, Co-Mayor of DEM Party's Kayapınar Municipality, Sevtap Akdağ, DEM Party's Deputy Co-Chair for Labor Commission, Nimet Tanrıkulu, one of the founders of IHD, and Roza Metina, President of Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association are among those detained.
The names of the detained journalists and writers are as follows: Erdoğan Alayumat (Journalist), Tuğce Yılmaz (Journalist), Bilge Aksu (Journalist), Ahmet Sünbül (Journalist), Roza Metina (Journalist - President of Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association (MKG)), Bilal Seçkin (Journalist), Mehmet Ücar (Journalist), Suzan Demir (Journalist), Ardin Diren (Translator-Director), Doğan Güzel (Cartoonist), Hicri İzgören (Poet-Writer), Ömer Barasi (Translator-Writer) and Baver Yoldaş (Publishing coordinator)
Human Rights Defenders Solidarity Network made the following statement on the detentions
"This morning, many journalists and trade unionists, including our rights defender friends Nimet Tanrıkulu and Berfin Atlı, were detained in operations in several provinces. We are against this lawlessness, our friends must be released immediately!
Tags: human rights, media
