JINHA

İSTANBUL – “Two newspapers are women’s newspapers, we should struggle and support more,” said women by reacting to the crackdown on Özgür Gündem and Azadiya Welat newspapers.

Police raided on the office of Azadiya Welat newspaper three days ago and detained 25 journalists and employees following the closure of the Özgür Gündem daily. As people’s right to freedom of expression has been taken away by imposing impression on free press, people are reacting to the impression on their voices.

YAKA-DER (Association of Relatives of Disappeared People) officer Cemile Çelik condemns the raid on the only Kurdish language daily Azadiya Welat and say, “There is a dirty war in this country. Unfortunately, other newspapers are keeping silent against this dirty war except Özgür Gündem and Azadiya Welat newspapers.”

Cemile pointed out that the government imposed pressure on Özgür Gündem and Azadiya Welat because they wrote what happened in Kurdistan; “They want to annihilate the struggle of Kurdish people and that’s why they want to close these newspapers.”

Peace Mothers member Gülten Oktay asked, “Why do they impose impression on Özgür Gündem and Azadiya Welat newspapers which are out voices and color?”

The Free Women’s Congress (KJA) Istanbul Coordination member Hanım Kurum stated that they would stand by the free press and said, “The Turkish Republic and states in the world should know that we’ll never allow these pressure until we die.”

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Sultanbeyli co-chair Hasibe Yazdık said, “Two newspapers are women’s newspapers, we should struggle and support more.”

Dicle News Agency (DİHA) reporter Elif Çetiner pointed out Azadiya Welat has published its news in Kurdish, “It is the only newspaper for Kurdish people to read the news with their language. The crackdown on Özgür Gündem, Azadiya Welat, DİHA and JINHA is a part of the war.”

(ro/ödk/gc/gd)