Thousands march in Istanbul to demand press freedom

Thousands of people marched Sunday in one of the largest protests recently organized in central Istanbul, calling for the release of 68 arrested journalists and freedom for the press in Turkey.

"Journalists [are marching] today for their personal rights as employees and for the people’s right to be informed," Ercan İpekchi, the head of the Freedom to Journalists Platform, or GÖP, said in a common statement released by the 92 national and local professional groups that make up the umbrella organization.

"Journalists are not here today because they are afraid of being judged or arrested, but rather because they are deeply concerned about the people’s voice being restricted and the right to be informed being inhibited," the statement said.

Thousands of journalists and their supporters from other professions marched down İstiklal Avenue in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district for more than an hour, demanding the immediate release of all arrested journalists and amendments to the Turkish Penal Code, or TCK, the Criminal Procedure Code, or CMK, the anti-terror law and other laws restricting press freedom.

"Do not keep silent, shout out – free press is a right,” the marchers chanted, among other slogans that included: “The press is free, it cannot be kept silent,” “For [slain journalist] Hrant [Dink], for justice," "AKP [ruling Justice and Development Party] take your hands off of the media,", "Do not keep silent, otherwise you will be next" and "[Recently arrested journalists] Ahmet [Şık], Nedim [Şener], you are our pride."

Demonstrators also carried placards reading "Freedom to journalists" and "[We want] Justice, freedom, immediately, now."

According to the GÖP, there are now 68 journalists behind bars in Turkey.

Distinguished figures from the media and other sectors participated in the march down İstiklal Avenue. Among the participants were daily Hürriyet’s Sedat Ergin and Tufan Türenç; Star television channel’s Uğur Dündar; daily Radikal’s İdris Akyüz; daily Vatan’s Leyla Umar; main opposition Republican People’s Party, or CHP, parliamentary deputies Çetin Soysal, Mehmet Sevigen and Necla Arat; pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, or BDP, deputy Akın Birdal; Istanbul Bar Association Chairman Ümit Kocasakal; and former member of Parliament and current performer Arif Sağ.

Family members of journalists detained or arrested in different cases marched in the front line of the protesters, which was symbolically surrounded by a red-and-white chain on which front pages of Turkish dailies related to arrests or journalists were hung. Bülent Şık, the brother of recently arrested daily Milliyet’s journalist Ahmet Şık, was among those marching in the front line.

“There are still 68 journalists in prison today. Some 30 [other] journalists were released in 2009, but their court cases still go on. At least 98 journalists have [experienced] prison,” İpekçi said as part of the joint statement on behalf of all the GÖP’s member organizations, adding that some 150 journalists today were at risk of jail time.

"Moreover, there are more than 2,000 open court cases against journalists and media outlets, and more than 4,000 ongoing investigations,” he said, adding that the country’s current government held all the responsibility for such a “shameful situation" regarding press freedom in Turkey.

"If the situation keeps being like this in Turkey, even those people who did not get out of their homes [today] will rise up [to protest with us]," said 82-year-old journalist Umar.

"The fact that [so many] journalists rose up together for press freedom is a positive [sign] for our country’s democracy. It shows journalists do not believe [the excuses] for their colleagues to be kept under arrest anymore," said Haluk Şahin from the TV 8 television channel.


/Hurriyet Daily News/