Hundreds of protesters take to the streets of the country in the largest protests since Gezi’s movement, which was born in Taksim Square in Istanbul in 2013; Demonstrations was the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul
The authorities of Attached, on Thursday (27) the opposition media to try to curb the mobilizations that emerged after the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, the president’s main rival. The action takes place in the midst of protests that multitudinal that sacrifice the country since March 19. This is the largest since Gezi’s movement, which was born in Taksim Square in 2013. Tensions increased after police arrested several Turkish journalists, including an AFP photographer. Authorities also expelled a BBC journalist after accusing him of being “a threat to public order.” The arrest of Turkish journalists aroused international convictions. “It is crucial that journalists can do their work free from any threat of violence, harassment or intimidation, to ensure that citizens have access to all information,” a European Commission spokesman said.
The trigger for the demonstrations, which take place in the midst of the ban, took place after the arrest last week of Istanbul mayor Ekremoglu, Erdogan’s main rival. During this same day, 10 journalists arrested earlier this week accused of having participated in massive protests, were released in Istanbul and Smyrna, according to their lawyers and a union of journalists. Among them is AFP photographer Yasin Akgül, who was released from an Istanbul prison, although his lawyer says the accusations against him were not withdrawn.
Akgül, 35, was arrested Monday morning at his home, and an Istanbul court ordered his pre-trial detention a day later, accused of “participating in illegal demonstrations and marches.” “As a photojournalist of an international news agency, my arrest in a police raid at dawn, in front of my family and my children, it was completely illegal. I was just doing my work,” he said when leaving the prison. “In these four days, I just thought of my family and returning to my work. This arrest aimed to prevent us from taking pictures on the spot,” he added.
Protesters gather on the streets during a protest against the arrest of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, in Ankara, Türkiye │necai Savas/EFE/EPA
The court ordered its release on Thursday, along with that of six other journalists, according to the Turkish Association of Defense of Human Rights MLSA. According to Akgül’s lawyer, he is on unconditional freedom, but the accusations against him “were not withdrawn” and the investigation is still underway. The journalist, the father of two, was released from the arrest of Metris just before 3:30 pm GMT (12:30 pm GMT). Agence France-Presse President Fabrice Fries called his arrest “unacceptable.” Another act of repression against the press was the Ten-day issuance of the SOZCU opposition television channel, accusing it to incite in its coverage the massive protests that shake the country. The Sozcu TV network “was sentenced to a suspension of 10 -day programs,” the Turkish Broadcasting Body of Broadcasting, RTUK, wrote in a statement, pointing out alleged infractions related to incitement to “hatred and hostility.” If the channel is declared guilty of another “infraction” as it has the prohibition, the license will be revoked, added the NTUK.
On Thursday, the Turkish Body of Broadcasting Body, the NTUK, prohibited the emission for 10 days of the Opposition Television Channel sozcu for incitement to “hatred and hostility”, and announced that they sanctioned three others. In the capital, Ankara, medical students and some of his teachers spoke on Thursday against government policy. The Republican Party of the People (CHP, Social Democrat), the main formation of the opposition, made a call to a great demonstration on Saturday. President Erdogan, who intensified his strategy against the opposition, implied that new investigations for corruption could be opened against critical voices and repeated that he will not give in to “the terror of the streets.” The authorities, which prohibit any demonstration in Smyrna and Ankara, announced on Thursday the arrest of 1,879 people since the beginning of the protests. Among them, 260 were in prison or in the process of imprisonment. More than 950 were released, of which about half are under judicial control.
*With information from AFP
Posted by Sarah Paula
