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Reporters Without Borders
protests against the arrest of journalists who
covered the release of Turkish infantryman private
Kirandi. The legitimate and necessary fight against
terrorism can never justify such violations of press
freedom, the RSF said.
Istanbul (BIA) 8.Aug- Reporters Without
Borders strongly protested today the arrest and
interrogation of four Turkish journalists who were
reporting on the release of a Turkish soldier by his
Kurdish nationalist kidnappers.
"These journalists were simply doing their job," it
said. "They should not be suspected of collaborating
with the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) just because
they covered this event. The legitimate and
necessary fight against terrorism can never justify
such violations of press freedom and we urge justice
minister Cemil Cicek to see they are released at
once."
Kadir Özbek and Rüstü Demirkaya, of the pro-Kurdish
news agency DIHA, Ferit Demir, of the DHA (Dogan)
and Reuters news agencies, and Haydar Toprakçi, of
the official Anatolian News Agency (AA), were
arrested on 4 August in the village of Gülec (in
Tunceli province, Eastern Anatolia).
The journalists were finally released from army
headquarters in Tunceli on Friday.
They had gone to Gülec with a human rights
delegation to see a Turkish soldier, Coskun Kirandi,
who had been held by PKK militants since 11 July and
had just been freed.
All members of the delegation, including Selahattin
Demirtas, head of the Diyarbakir branch of the
Turkish Human Rights Association (IHD), Mihdi
Perinçek, leader of the IHD, Ferhat Tunç, a singer
and columnist for the pro-Kurdish daily Ülkede Özgür
Gündem, Umur Hozatli, another columnist for the
paper, and Özgür Söylemez, who is also a member of
the pro-Kurdish Democratic People's Party (DEHAP),
were arrested along with two villagers and
interrogated by the military.
The Tunceli deputy public prosecutor, Sedat Ertaskin,
told journalists that those arrested had "acted as
intermediaries" and had collaborated with and made
propaganda for the Kurdish cause.
Demirtas and Kirandi were freed on 5 August after
appearing before a court in Tunceli.
www.bianet.org
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