Öznur Değer 

 

ANKARA - One of her colleagues, Evrensel newspaper editor Meltem Akyol, who reacted to the detain of our reporter Beritan Canözer, said: “Beritan was detained today once again for insisting on journalism. There is an effort to blackening the truth by the AKP.’’ Alınteri reporter Zarife Çamalan stated: ‘’The pressure made to the press reveals the violence face of the state.’’

 

Increasing pressures on opponents in Turkey are also affecting journalists. Kurdish journalists cannot avoid being the target of the government and the judiciary. One of them, our reporter Beritan Canözer, was detained in the raid on her house in Diyarbakır yesterday morning. Beritan, who has been working as a journalist since 2014, was detained four times, arrested once, and many investigations were opened against her.

 

Four custodies in six years

 

Beritan, who is identified with the word ‘’excited journalist’’, was first arrested on December 16, 2015, in Sur district of Diyarbakır, after she was detained on the grounds that she was ‘’excited’’ during following the news. Beritan, who was arrested for about four months, was released in the first hearing of the case. Beritan, who lived her second detain with her colleague Beritan Elyakut on January 21, 2019, was released after her statement was taken. Beritan, who was prosecuted in 2020 on the grounds of her virtual media posts, was sentenced to  one year, 10 months and 15 days in prison. Beritan, who was detained once again in the raid on her house in Diyarbakır's Bağlar district on April 5, 2021, was released on condition of judicial control after three-day detain period. Beritan was detained four times in six years with the raid on her house yesterday.

 

Evrensel newspaper editor Meltem Akyol and Alınteri Ankara reporter Zarife Çamalan reacted Beritan’s detain and demanded her immediate release.

 

‘She was detained for insisting on journalism’

 

Expressing that journalism in Turkey has been under pressure for a long time, the editor of Evrensel newspaper, Meltem Akyol, noted that on the one hand, custody and arrests took place, and on the other hand, various mechanisms were being tried to be implemented through censorship. Stating that journalism was put under pressure with the judicial processes, Meltem drew attention to the increasing police violence in the field. Meltem said: ‘’Journalists are either exposed to violence or detained while doing their job. We learned that our journalist friend Beritan Canözer was detained. We remember the reason for Beritan's detain earlier, she was found excited. Beritan was detained today once again for insisting on journalism. We know that the attacks against women journalists are not limited with Beritan. In recent months, we have seen an increasing police violence against women journalists in the field. It shows that since 2021, 44 women journalists have been subjected to police violence while trying to do their job in the field, and 13 of them have been detained while working in the field.’’

 

‘There is an effort by the AKP to blackening the truth’

 

Stating that the pressure on women journalists is part of the effort to blackening the truth, Meltem noted that they knew that Beritan's insistence was behind the truth in the fact that she had been detained many times before and was detained once again. Pointing out that this violence and oppression has increased in recent months, especially after the security's circular preventing the taking of image, Meltem said: ‘’There is an effort by the AKP to blackening the truth. We know that the pressure not to reveal the truth will not intimidate journalists. At least we women journalists will continue to stand behind the truth no matter what. Beritan will continue to work as a journalist and to be the voice of women and children after she is released from custody.’’

 

‘Pressure on the press reveals the violence face of the state’

 

Alınteri Ankara reporter Zarife Çamalan, on the other hand, reminded the circular issued by the police that prohibits taking image, and stated that it aimed to prevent the right to receive information. Emphasizing that the pressure on the press reveals the violence of the state, Zarife stated: ‘’The attacks carried out through women reporters are also an attack against the determined, conscious, faithful and combative identities of women, taking into account the resistant nature of women. The attack on female reporters means sending a message to the general public. Because every day, tens of women are killed and raped, but their killers are released. It has a policy of silencing everyone who seeks their rights, tries to broadcast the truth, and tries to make the real news. The last time we saw this in fires. Newspapers that made news about the fire were fined.’’

 

‘We will be the press of the truth’

 

Adding to her words that even saying a slightest wrong is met with punishment, Zarife stated that the fact that Beritan was repeatedly detained in operations is an indication of this. Drawing attention to the fact that these are attacks against everyone, Zarife concluded her words as follows: ‘’We are prevented in the demonstrations on the grounds that we do not have a turquoise press card, but it is also known to whom they gave that card. We will be the press of the truth, we will report the truth. We will continue to express the truth and stand by it.’’