ANKARA - Making a statement on the occasion of the "Press Day", HDP said: ‘’Unfortunately, 113 years after July 24, 1908, journalists are under heavy attack today. According to TGS datas, at least 38 journalists are in prison.’’

 

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Vice Co-Chair Tayip Temel, who is responsible from the Press and Propaganda Commission, issued a statement on the occasion of the ‘’Press Day’’, which was announced on 24 July 1908 with the abolition of censorship. Underlining that this day is not a real holiday, the statement said: ‘’It continued to exist as a day of resistance and struggle against censorship, oppression and attacks. Since then, censorship in the Turkish press has never completely ended, and the pressure on the press has not finished. That is why the struggle for freedom of the press has always been there.’’

 

‘After 113 years, journalists are under attack again’

 

Pointing out that the pressures against journalists are still being continued by the AKP government and the palace regime, the statement said: ‘’Unfortunately, 113 years after July 24, 1908, journalists are under heavy attack today. According to Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) datas, at least 38 journalists are in prison. Turkey ranks 153rd in the 2021 World Press Freedom Index of Reporters Without Borders. Internet journalists are insecure, the government has declared war on social media, the opposition press is under pressure and attack every day, and most of the media workers are without a union, without a collective agreement. Dozens of media institutions were seized with the state of emergency declared after July 15 and the decree-laws, and more than 10,000 journalists were left unemployed. As of today, 95 percent of the media is under the control of the government and they do not do journalism. On the contrary, racism is embraced and individuals and institutions are targeted by gunperson such as Yeni Şafak, which targets bar associations that take a stand against racism. The Presidential Communications Directorate assumes the role of Goebbels and it shows on various occasions that they will not tolerate even the slightest contradictory voice even in the media under its control.’’

 

‘Freedom of expression is one of the most fundamental freedoms’

 

Emphasizing that freedom of the press and expression is one of the most fundamental freedoms, the statement underlined that what has happened in recent years shows that there is no chance and condition for other segments of society to be free before any segment of society is free. Pointing out that the way to stand up against this all-out oppression and attacks is to fight together, the statement said: ‘’We greet the press organizations and press workers who describe July 24 as the day of struggle, and express once again that we stand by the journalists who are fighting for a free press.’’