Kurdish journalist Serdar Karakoç, granted bail in the Netherlands pending an extradition hearing on 24 July, has shared a message of gratitude to supporters for their solidarity during his detention, and for continuing to resist attacks on the Kurdish free press.
“First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to friendly and democratic institutions and personalities, especially my colleagues, for their support and messages of solidarity during my detention period,” the journalist said, as he began his five-week release period on security of 5,000 Euros.
Karakoç, a Kurdish citizen of Turkey, fled to exile in Europe after 20 years of reporting for the Kurdish free press under violent state oppression, including surviving a bomb attack on the Özgür Ülke newspaper, and several years of imprisonment.
Since 2001 he has continued his professional journalistic activities in the Netherlands as a recognised political refugee, but he was arrested on 23 May for extradition proceedings at Germany’s request. If the deportation is successful, Karakoç is likely to face further extradition to Turkey, where he faces persecution.
“Attacks on the Free Press have always existed as a part of our lives of struggle since the 1990s,” Karakoç explained. “In Europe, [Kurdish] Free Press institutions have recently been targeted with policies that are an extension of the Turkish state’s oppression.”
The extradition request by the German authorities was clearly made under pressure from Turkey, Karakoç said, part of its historic and continued hostility against the Kurdish movement and the oppressed people’s struggle for freedom.
The journalist expressed his dedication to freedom, peace and democracy, and called for continued efforts by the international community to protect the free press.
In his statement, Karakoç consistently refers to the “Free Press” with capital letters, referring to the Kurdish press in Turkey. Historically, the Kurdish press has endured severe repression, including numerous extrajudicial killings of journalists and distributors, Kadri Bağdu of Azadiya Welat (2014) being just one example, and attacks on their offices, notably the bombing of the Istanbul branch of the Özgür Ülke newspaper (1994).
