365 Signatures for Journalist Behind Bars for 365 Days in Cumhuriyet Trial
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365 journalists, writers, artists and attorneys have called for the release of the employees of Cumhuriyet daily , who have been behind bars for 365 days as of today (October 30).
The petition with 365 signatures demanding freedom for the journalists was announced to public yesterday (October 29) at Taksim Hill Otel, İstanbul.
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In the press conference call for solidarity has been made for the next hearing of the Cuöhuriyet daily's employees on October 31.
The third hearing in the Cumhuriyet trial in which 20 defendants six of whom are in detention on remand are standing trial, was held on September 25. The court had ruled that columnist journalist Kadri Gürsel be released pending trial and the other five defendants namely, the President of Cumhuriyet daily's Executive Board Attorney Akın Atalay, Cumhuriyet Foundation Management Board member Attorney Bülent Utku, Editor-in-Chief Murat Sabuncu, correspondent Ahmet Şık, and Twitter user Ahmet Kemal Aydoğdu remain in jail pending trial.
"Journalism is being tried"
Ertuğrul Mavioğlu from the Journalists Outside initiative, İstanbul Bar Association President Mehmet Durakoğlu, Attorney Gülendam Şan Karabulutlar, Constitutional Law Professor Dr. İbrahim Kaboğlu, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) Chair Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı and representative of We Will Stop Femicides Platform Gülsüm Kav have attended the press conference.
The participants have drawn attention to the importance of a fair trial especially under the State of Emergency, demanded that "this open prison should be turned into a completely free environment", stated that the journalists were jailed "to hide the truth and prevent the lies from being disclosed".
The press conference ended with images and footage from a protest organized in Kadıköy, İstanbul to make a call for the trial of now-closed Özgür Gündem daily and the fourth hearing of Cumhuriyet trial.
"An attack on our right to information"
"We, who have signed under this statement, do not consider this unlawfulness an attack only against the employees of Cumhuriyet daily. As newspaper readers, we consider this an attack on our right to information, to know what is happening in the country and worldwide.
"As long as the Cumhuriyet trial continues, people's right to information and their rights to be the subject of information, freedom of expression and press will be under threat, all journalists, writers and intellectuals who give a voice to the [...] truth, will continue to be at the target".
"We demand that Akın Atalay, Murat Sabuncu, Ahmet Şık and Emre İper who are being kept in prison by maintaining such unlawful proceedings, be freed immediately".
365 signaturesThe 365 signees of the petition are: Abdullah Aydın - Educator, Abdullah Demirbaş - Educator, Adnan Çoker - Painter, Ahmet Aykaç - academic, Ahmet İnsel - academic, Ahmet Özmen - Writer, Ahmet Tan - Writer, Ahmet Telli - Poet, Ahmet Türk - Politician, Ahmet Ümit - Writer, Akın Atauz - Writer, Akın Birdal – raights activist, Akın Olgun - Writer, Akif Kurtuluş - Poet, Alev Er - Journalist, writer, Ali Çerkezoğlu - physician, Baki Ekber Kayış - Musician, Ali Ergin Demirhan - Journalist, Ali Uçansu - Dentist, Ali Uğur Çağal - Artvin Bar Association chair, Alper Turgut - Journalist, Ara Güler , Arif Mardini - academic, Arif Sağ - Musician, Arzu Çerkezoğlu - physician, Arzu Yılmaz - academic, Aslı Aydıntaşbaş - Writer, Atilla Candır- SDD Chair, Atilla Göktürk - academic, Ayça Söylemez - Journalist, Aydın Çıngı - Writer, Aydın Selcen - Writer, Ayşe Buğra - academic , Ayşe Erzan - academic, Ayşe Kulin - Writer, Ayşegül Devecioğlu - Writer, Ayşegül Tözeren - Poet, Ayşen Aksakal - Writer, Ayşenur Arslan - Journalist, Babür Atilla - Sodev Chair, Bağış Erten - Journalist, Banu Güven - Journalist, Barbaros Şansal – Fashion designer, Barış Atay - Player, Barış İnce - Journalist, Barış Yıldırım - Tunceli Bar Association chair, Belkıs Akkale - Musician, Belma Fırat - Writer, Beral Madra - Curator, Berat Günçikan - Journalist, Berhan Şimşek - Player, Beril Eyüboğlu - Çevirmen, Berrin Simavlıoğlu – Public Relation caricaturist, Betül Mardin – Public Relation expert, Beyza Üstün - academic, Burcu Karakaş - Journalist, Burcu Sarak - Musician, Burhan Sönmez - Writer, Burhan Şenatalar - academic, Burhan Şeşen - Musician, Bülent Mumay - Journalist, Bülent Özdoğan - Journalist, Büşra Ersanlı -academic, Cahit Berkay - Musician, Cahit Kayra – Politician, writer, Canan Kaftancıoğlu - Toplumsal Bellek Platformu, Candan Yıldız - Journalist, Celal Korkut Yıldırım - TÜSES Chair, Celalettin Can - 78'liler Foundation Spokesperson, Cem Kızılcec - Editor, Cem Ozil - Engineer, Cem Yılmaz – Music producer, Cengiz Aktar - academic, Cengiz Alp - physician, Cengiz Hakkı Zariç - Poet, Cengiz Murat Özgünay - businessperson, Ceren Sözeri - academic, Ceyda Karan - Writer, Cezmi Ersöz - Poet, Cihangir İslam - academic, Cihangir Yalçınkaya - artitect, Çiğdem Anad - Journalist, Defne Halman - Player, Deniz Koloğlu – Music director, Deniz Türkali - Player, Doğan Akın - Journalist, Doğan Bermek – architect, Doğan Tılıç - Journalist, Ece Temelkuran - Writer, Ece Zereycan - Journalist, Edip Akbayram - Musician, Ekrem Dönmez - Hatay Bar Association chair, Elif Ilgaz - Journalist, Elif Yılmaz - Journalist, Elmas Eren - Saturday Mother, Emel Korkmaz - Mother, Emin İgüs - Musician, Emin Koramaz - TMMOB Chair, Emine Ocak – Saturday Mother, Emine Uşaklıgil - Writer, Ercan İpekçi - Journalist, Ercan Karakaş- politician, Ercan Kesal - Player, Erdal Atabek -Writer, Erdal Erzincan - Musician, Erdinç Ergenç - Journalist, Ergin Yıldızoğlu - Writer, Erinç Yeldan - academic, Erk Acarer - Journalist, Erol Katırcıoğlu - academic, Erol Kızılelma - Denizci, Erol Önderoğlu - Journalist, Ersin Salman - Reklamcı, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu - Journalist, Esra Arsan - academic, Esra Mungan - academic, Eşber Yağmurdereli , Eylem Altınel - physician, Eylem Koçyiğit - caricaturist, Ezel Akay - director, Ezgi Başaran - Journalist, Ezgi Cankurtan - Journalist, Fadime Göktepe - Mother, Faruk Eren - Journalist, Fatih Polat - Journalist, Fatih Kanat - Writer, Fatmagül Berktay - academic, Fatoş Güney, Fehim Caculi - Manager, Fehim Işık - Journalist, Fehim Taştekin - Journalist, Ferhan Şensoy - Player, Ferhat Tunç - Musician, Feryal Öney - Musician, Ferzan Özpetek - director, Fikret Başkaya - Writer, Fikret Kuşkan - Player, Gaye Boralıoğlu - Writer, Genco Erkal - Player, Gençay Gürsoy - academic, Gökçer Tahincioğlu - Journalist, Gökhan Durmuş - Journalist, Gülhan Türkay - academic, Gülriz Sururi - Player, Gülseren Onanç - Businessperson, Gülsüm Elvan - Anne, Gülsüm Kav - Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız Platformu, Gülşah Karadağ - Journalist, Gülşen İşeri Journalist, Gülten Kaya - Müzic producer, Gürhan Ertür – Communication advisor, Gürkan Altun - Bursa Bar Association chair, Gürol Sözen - Painter, H. Neşe Özgen - academic, Hacer Ansal - academic, Hakan Canduran - Ankara Bar Association chair, Hakan Tahmaz - Writer, Hakkı Özdal - Journalist, Hale Soygazi - Player, Halil Ergün - Player, Halil Yavuz Ertürk - Painter, Haluk Hepkon - Publisher, Hamide Yiğit - Writer, Hanife Yıldız – Saturday mother, Hasan Cemal - Journalist, Hasan Güreliler - Business person, Hüseyin Aykol - Journalist, Hüseyin Tahmaz - Journalist, Hüseyin Turan - Musician, İbrahim Aydın - Journalist, İbrahim Kaboğlu - academic, İdris Akyüz - Journalist, İhsan Eliaçık - Writer, İlhan Taşçı - Journalist, İlkay Akkaya - Musician, İnci Hekimoğlu - Journalist, İrfan Aktan - Journalist, İrfan Değirmenci - TV journalist, İsmail Saymaz - Journalist, Kani Beko - DİSK Chair, Karin Karakaşlı - Journalist, Kasım Akbaş - academic, Kasım Yeter - Painter, Kemal Can- Journalist, Kemal Göktaş - Journalist, Kerem Altıparmak - academic, Kerem Kekeç - |
(AS/DG)