On 25 April, more than 100 people were detained in house raids in 21 provinces centred in Diyarbakır. The houses of journalists, politicians, lawyers and artists were raided. On 14 May, days before the parliamentary and presidential elections to be held, the security of the elections has been struck with this operation. If this process continues, it is certain that the elections will be held in an anti-democratic environment.
It is time for national and international institutional solidarity against these operations and repressions against defence, press, politics and social sphere. It is time to stand by society's right to defence, information and expression of opinion. We emphasise that a democratic Turkey will be achieved through freedom of the press and freedom of expression. In this sense, we once again call on all relevant national and international professional organisations to stand in solidarity.
10 JOURNALISTS DETAINED
Dozens of houses and workplaces were raided in Diyarbakır-centred Mardin, Siirt, Bingöl, Van, Şırnak, Batman, Antep, Urfa, Bursa, İstanbul, İzmir, Mersin, Muş, Bitlis, Hakkari, Osmaniye, Sivas, Malatya, Adıyaman and Ankara.
Mezopotamya Agency (MA) editor Abdurrahman Gök, Mezopotamya Agency reporters Ahmet Kanbal and Mehmet Şah Oruç, Yeni Yaşam Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Osman Akın, Kurdish weekly Xwebûn newspaper's Concessionaire Kadri Esen, JINNEWS reporter Beritan Canözer, journalists Mehmet Yalçın, Mıkail Barut, Salih Keleş and Remzi Akkaya were detained within the investigation.
PROSECUTOR ALSO SEIZED HIS OWN INDICTMENT
Resul Temur, a lawyer who handles the case files of journalists, is among those detained. During a search conducted in Temur's office under the supervision of the prosecutor, the police seized all case files, defence notes and digital data. Newspapers and magazines that Temur's clients were accused of possessing were also seized.
The prosecutor, who conducted the investigation of 18 journalists, 15 of whom are under arrest, and prepared a 728-page indictment against them, confiscated even the indictment he had prepared in the office of Temur, the lawyer of the journalists. A book titled "Lost Justice" remained in the lawyer's office.
RAID ON AN ORGANISATION WITHOUT A SEARCH WARRANT
Although there was no search warrant, many digital materials were also taken from ‘Piya Production’ in Diyarbakır. Piya Production, which is located on the ground floor of ‘Ari Production’, was also raided in the morning. After a search lasting approximately 8 hours, all computers, monitors, televisions, CDs and rehearsal equipment were seized. The police responded to the objections of the lawyers saying "You cannot search or confiscate without a warrant" by saying "We are searching because it is the same building" and to the question of the employees "Why are you taking the monitors and TVs?" the police said "We are taking them so that you do not use them".
POLICE LEFT A NOTE INSTEAD OF A SEARCH REPORT!
‘Aram Publishing House’ owner and journalist Hakkı Boltan's home and workplace were raided in the morning hours. The doors of Aram Publishing House were broken down and the books published in Aram Publishing House as well as the archive of the books being prepared for publication and the digital archive were seized. After the search, the police left a note at the publishing house instead of a search report. The police wrote the following on the note paper: "Flash drives, computer cases, laptops and mobile phones on the table in each room were seized. Tem Branch operation."
