06.11.1997

Defend press freedom

Turkey

Since September 1997 the distribution of Emek and Gündem newspapers has been stopped in the Kurdish province of Diyarbakir by soldiers who refused entry to the trucks carrying the newspapers. The Diyarbakir office of Emek was illegally raided by the heavily armed forces of the state during October 18-19.

All the office equipment was destroyed. The workers and journalists of Diyarbakir Emek have been kidnapped. They were initially taken to the local gendarme headquarters and then to the police station, where they were tortured. Our correspondent, Ozgur Cebe, reporters and workers have received numerous death threats. They have been directed not to write any articles, discuss news or report the truth in any sort of way.

The opposition and the independent press is being forced into silence. In Turkey 25 journalists have been murdered during the last ten years. The Turkish state is now planning new murders.

Indeed, the attacks against Emek, in Turkey and Europe,are increasing. The entrance to the office in the Kurdish provinces were blockaded by the police from September 16 to October 6. We know that the police who raided our offices are ‘counter-guerrillas’ who hide their faces in the structure of the Turkish state. These elements in the past have killed fellow journalists like Namik Taranci, Metin Goktepe Ugar Mumou and Musa Anter. Overall, 25 journalists have been killed by various methods - including ‘disappearances’.

The Turkish State Security Court (DGM) has taken our newspaper to court 55 times in the last 11 months. Fourteen issues have been banned and the cartoonist Ertan Aydin has been sentenced to 11 months imprisonment. Fines of billions of Turkish liras have been demanded against the editors and writers of Emek.

Emek