{Turkish people across the country and the world continue to stage massive demonstrations to protest against the Dec. 14 raid on media freedom, calling for the release of those arrested on what is now the tenth day after the crackdown.}
The Dec. 14 operation targeting press freedom in Turkey was protested in New York City on Tuesday. A group of US citizens of Turkish origin came together to stage a rally with “Justice,” “Democracy” and “Freedom” written on a coffin. The coffin, being a symbol of the decline of democracy in Turkey, was put on a car and moved through the city’s streets. Passing by Central Park and Times Square the symbolic funeral convoy caught the eye of locals. The cars in the convoy were decorated with placards reading “Free media cannot be silenced,” “Justice, democracy, freedom died.” Americans reportedly supported the convoy by honking.
Protests are still ongoing across Turkey with thousands of people coming together in front of Konya Courthouse to protest against the oppression on free media. Calling the raid on media as a blow on democracy in Turkey, Mine Güneş, a woman involved in the Konya demonstrations, spoke out against the authoritarian regime in Turkey. “We don’t want the Assad regime in Turkey. This motherland is ours… They are there because of our votes and we can bring them down with our votes too. God will soon bless us with justice,” Güneş said.
The nationwide protests started with the detention of Zaman daily Editor-in-Chief Ekrem Dumanlı and STV network head Hidayet Karaca on Dec. 14, which is also called Black Sunday in the country’s media circles.
Noting that everyone is already aware of the smear campaign against the faith-based Hizmet movement inspired by the teachings of the US-based Fethullah Gülen another protester said: “These people cannot step down even on an ant. Everyone knows it. All these are happening in order to cover their shame [referring to last year’s corruption cases].”
Similar protests were staged in front of the courthouse in Adıyaman. Reading holy books including the Quran and Cevşen the demonstrators chanted slogans such as “Free media cannot be silenced,” “Zaman will never shut up even though everyone is silent” and “We will not bow to despotism.” An elderly woman coming from another province, Kahramanmaraş, extended her support to the protesters in Adıyaman and said: “We all are supporting the demonstrators. May God help us. All this will be left behind hopefully.”
More demonstrations were held in the province of Gaziantep. Coming together in front of the courthouse in Gaziantep the protesters chanted slogans urging that the arrested journalists be released soon. A protester named Ali İhsan Yılmaz has said they will continue their demonstrations until the arrested figures are released. Saying a performance is being staged in Turkey another protester, Metin Ceylan, said: “Some people are adding wood to the fire set on Saint İbrahim but we will also take water to put the fire out. We will continue to support justice and truth.”
On Saturday, the president of the New York-based Turkish Cultural Center (TCC), Sadri Altınok, condemned the arrest of Hidayet Karaca and said the crackdown on the media is not based on evidence.
Altınok said the media is not an enemy of the government but the protector of democracy. He argued that the government could not tolerate criticism coming from the media following the corruption investigation that was made public on Dec. 17 of last year, which implicated members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) and their relatives, and that the government had initiated the raid on the media in response to the criticism.
“We urge the government to respect all of Turkey’s citizens and to act in accordance with justice and the rule of law, to protect media freedoms and to stay away from actions disrupting the democratic order in the country,” he said.
{{Protests in Boston, Chicago, LA, Brussels, London}}
Similar protests took place on Friday and Saturday in Boston and Chicago, as well as Brussels and London. The protesters called on the Turkish government to stop its anti-democratic behavior and its violations of the rule of law and urged the government to release the detained journalists.
In Brussels on Friday about 100 people carried Turkish flags and banners reading “Free media cannot be silenced.” Zaman Brussels Bureau Chief Selçuk Gültaşlı made a speech during this protest and said the ruling party in Turkey has unfortunately drifted toward authoritarianism. He called on everyone who believes in democracy to support the Turkish media.
Gültaşlı also called on the EU not to suspend Turkey’s membership negotiations because of the recent anti-democratic moves in Turkey.
In London, protesters covered their mouths with a black band.
During a protest in Los Angeles, Hollywood star Bruce Davison also criticized the raid on the media and likened it to a witch hunt. Davison, who took part in movies such as “X-Men” and the TV series “Lost” and “Star Trek: Voyager,” said it is difficult for him to imagine US President Barack Obama getting The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal editors arrested because he did not like what they report, or the creators of popular television series such as “General Hospital” or “Brighter Show” being arrested due to their condemnation of al-Qaeda.
Davison said he loves Turkey and hates to see incidents like this taking place.
Agencies
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