Journalists gathered to mark World Press Freedom Day on Friday in Turkey’s Kurdish-majority eastern province of Van (Wan), calling for the release of their detained colleagues and condemning the pressures faced by the media.
Organised by the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and the Mesopotamia Women Journalists Association (MKG), the event attracted members from various political and civil society groups, including the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party.
“Today, supposedly a day to celebrate press freedom as declared by the United Nations, has little meaning here where journalists are regularly subjected to raids, arrests, and judicial harassment simply for their work,” Adnan Bilen, DFG’s representative in Van, said. He also highlighted that Turkey ranks 158th out of 183 countries on the press freedom index, indicating a severe environment of repression where journalists cannot freely express their thoughts.
Bilen noted recent incidents of violence against journalists, such as those on May Day in Taksim, where reporters faced severe brutality. “Just last week, nine journalists were detained and three were imprisoned. Over 40 journalists are currently jailed in Turkey, many for their reports and dissenting views,” he added. This call for action comes amidst a broader crackdown that often starts with Kurdish journalists and spreads across the country.
MKG member Rojda Aydın reiterated the challenges faced by Kurdish journalists, citing the April arrests of reporters from Mezopotamya Agency and a raid on Kurdish media outlets in Belgium. “These attacks have not silenced us and will not do so in the future,” Aydın affirmed.
The gathering concluded with resounding applause and chants of “Free press cannot be silenced”.