Turkey: Another crackdown society, another crackdown on journalism

August 21, 2019

Since 18 August, people in Turkey took to the streets to protest against the governments decision to dismiss three pro-kurdish Metropolitan Mayors in Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van in the southeast of the country. The situation escalated when the police started to attack the peaceful protesters. In course of the events, 6 journalists have been arrested and others were assaulted by the police, as they were covering the public demonstrations in Mardin, Diyarbakir and Istanbul.

According to Expression Interrupted, “Mezopotamya news agency (MA) reporters Ahmet Kanbal and Mehmet Şah Oruç, Jinnews reporter Rojda Aydın and journalists Nurcan Yalçın and Halime Parlak were arrested in Mardin while reporter Yelda Özbek was arrested in Diyarbakır.”

In Diyarbakir reporters and photographers have reportedly been attacked by the police and had their equipment damaged, while covering the violent intervention of the state forces.

Police and Protestors in Diyarbakır. Picture taken by Murat Bay.

MP’s and members of the Human Rights Association also came together to demonstrate infront of the Çağlayan Courthouse in Istanbul. According to Bianet, the group that also included the journalist and author Ahmet Şık, has been dispersed and prevented from holding their speech by the police. Video footage of the attack on Ahmet Şık has been published on twitter.

Disproportion of governmental forces continues to be the solution of the turkish state to silence unwelcome voices.

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