The true reason for Abdurrahman Gök’s arrest in April were the photos he took in 2017, documenting the shots Turkish police fired at 23 year-old Kemal Kurkut that killed the young Kurd as he was joining the Newroz celebrations, the Kurdish journalist said during the first hearing of the terrorism case against him on Thursday.
“The Diyarbakır (Amed) Governorate had issued an unfortunate statement on the shooting of Kemal Kurkut in 2017, probably directed by the police. After I published the photos I took, I faced five investigations. I believe this case is also because of those photos,” Gök said in his defence statement.
The governor at the time said Kurkut had been wielding a knife at the police checkpoint before the festival area. Police officers claimed the young man had been a suicide bomber.
Gök’s series of photographs showed Kurkut, topless and holding a water bottle in one hand and an object that could be a knife in the other, walking away with his back turned to the police, and collapsing shortly after, having been shot in the back.
Two officers were investigated for the death of the university student, but were acquitted in 2022. Gök received a journalism award for the photos, and faced 20 years in prison for terrorist propaganda over them.
Excerpts from the journalist’s defence statement follow.
“In the first two times the witness testified, my name is not in there. He was later asked if he knew me, then he said I worked for Pel Production. I have never worked there, I was arrested on his false testimony.
“Even if I did, it doesn’t mean I should be arrested. The real issue is my photos. Pressure on me increased after the officers faced a lawsuit.
“I am also criminalised for my documentary film titled ‘Kobanê ne film e ne belgefilm e’. I made a documentary using photos I took in Kobane, Syria when I visited in 2014, and then on my way back from Raqqa where I documented the international operation against the Islamic State in 2017.
“This shows that the police can take my social media posts and prop up a case of continued propaganda.
“Of course the film includes cemeteries and statues.
“The good things people in the film said are cited as accusations. It was not me who said those things. Of course they sing praises. Thousands died to take the city back from ISIS. If they hadn’t, we would have ISIS as our neighbour today.
“My book review articles were made subject of accusations. The prosecutor is trying to create a crime out of the word ‘mountain’. Elisse Reclus wrote the Story of a Mountain and Story of a River in 1830. I wrote various reviews for various books. I am accused of the content of these books, the media prosecutor is accusing me as if I wrote them myself.
“My phone calls with journalists are listed among accusations. I was tried before, and the court found no criminal activity in these talks between 2017 and 2020. There are records of calls with journalists Serdar Altan and Ömer Çelik, who were under arrest at the time. But records don’t include the content. Any communication with these imprisoned journalists was considered a crime.
“I was followed by police officers frequently before I was arrested. I was under surveillance. These show why I was arrested. I have stood behind every story I have written. I did not run away from trial. I attended even the hearing where I was facing a 22 year sentence. Whether I am free or under arrest, I will continue to be a journalist.”
Gök was refused release in the hearing, and will have to remain in prison until the next hearing scheduled for 5 December.
