JINHA

ISTANBUL - Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı and the Reporter without Borders (RSF) Turkey representative Erol Önderoğlu were released yesterday. After being released, they visited Özgür Gündem daily and they emphasized that the solidarity should be enlarged.

Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı and the Reporter without Borders (RSF) Turkey representative Erol Önderoğlu gathered in Özgür Gündem daily after being released. The former chief editor of Özgür Gündem daily, Ahmet Birsin, lawyer Eren Keskin, Erol Önderoğlu and Şebnem Korur Fincancı made a press statement and emphasized the solidarity should be continued. First ahmet Birsin talked and he said, "We had in an important process. Not only intellectuals but also workers, ecologists stayed with Özgür Gündem. They supported the daily by not just watching, but also distributing the daily in streets and workplaces. This makes us stronger against pressure.

"149 investigations have been conducted against us. Inverstigations have been conducted against 47 of 61 our friends, who participated in co-editor-in-chief watch. Everyone knows where Turkey is about the freedom of press. We hope that the government takes a step back."

After the speech of Ahmet Birsin, Şebnem Korur Fincancı began to speak. She said, "Enlarging the solidarity was very important when we began to be in solidarity. You can only read the news from pro-government media; however, political prisoners are very smart, they understand the country's agenda by reading between the lines. Özgür Gündem is the newspaper which pays the most prices. They share the truth with us as being the voice of people despite the state's pressure."

The Reporter without Borders (RSF) Turkey representative Erol Önderoğlu, meanwhile, said, "We tried to not be the same people who act around the narrow partisan interests. We have universal human rules. The thing we did has crossed the limits."

Eren Keskin said, "The press cannot be free without the freedom of Özgür Gündem. A dirt war has been carried out in Kurdistan. You can read that through Özgür Gündem. We'll continue our struggle."

The press statement ended by shouting the slogan; "Where is Hurşit Külter, where are the disappeared people?"

(ödk-nö/mg/gd)