Pressure against journalists and media workers was already alarming before the elections in Turkey and unfortunately the situation isn’t cooling down after the elections. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) have today (11/06/2015) learned that several attacks on physical integrity of journalists in Diyarbakir have taken place in the past few days :
1) DHA female correspondent Canan Altintaş and her cameraman Serdar Sinar have been badly injured by a group of unidentified armed individuals (09/06/2015)
2) İHA correspondent Burak Emek has been injured by a group of unidentified armed individuals (09/06/2015)
3) Kurdish journalist and TGS member Ozan Kilinç (and board member of Özgür Gazeteciler Cemiyeti – ÖGC) has been detained by the police (11/06/2015). According to media reports, the police raided Kilinç’s home at 05.00 and heavy-handed arrested him in front of his family members pointing weapons at him and pushing him down on the floor. Kilinç is still in detention at the Diyabakir police center.
The EFJ and IFJ back its affiliate, the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS), and strongly condemned these brutal attacks in Diyarbakir on journalists. “These attacks on journalists and media professionals is also an assault on the public’s right to information. The perpetrators aim to use violence and intimidation to silence journalits and hide the facts from the public. We wish quick recovery for our injured colleagues. The authorities must immediately start an investigation to end impunity against media violations,” said TGS.
European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
