On July 10 2002, the security forces of the fascist regime in Turkey raided the head office of the progressive newspaper “Yeniden ATILIM” and the Etkin news agency, which also publishes the newspaper “Dayanisma” (Solidarity) and “Emekci Kadinlar Birligi” (The Union of Toiling Women) in Istanbul.
This attack comes after the earlier arrest of a member of staff of this agency, Halil Dincer.
During this police operation 17 members of the staff have been detained and transferred to Istanbul Anti-terror headquarters. The authorities have further seized all the computers, equipment and archives of the agency. Those arrested during the raid were Necati Abay, Soner Saglamer, Naciye Gurbuz, Ali Ihsan Topcu, Remziye Dursun, Gokcen Arabul, Altan Koman, Gokhan Ozdemir, Sevil Gultekin, Nuran Dogan, Songul Akbay, Burcu Gumus, Muge Molvali and Murat Guner.
The ILPS condemns this attack against the progressive media in Turkey and regards this as part of a concerted campaign by the fascist regime to silence the free press in Turkey. The ILPS condemns and oppose the repressive policies of the fascist regime in Turkey and its reign of terror against the people. The main aim of these attacks is to deny the workers and oppressed people of Turkey the right to voice their opposition and indignation to the current political crisis and the economic bankruptcy of the country which is the direct result of the application of polices and dictates of the imperialist powers and institutions such as the WB and the IMF.
The fascist regime in power in Turkey has a despicable record of abuse and violation of human and civil rights. Its attack against democratic institutions and rights began long before Mr. Bush declared his “war against terrorism” following the 11th September 2002. The suppression of the Kurdish people's just struggle, the massacre of political prisoners in Ulucanlar prison on 26 September 99 and more recently the massacre of the political prisoners in December 19-22 2001 are just a few illustrations of the brutality and barbarity of this regime who boasts membership of NATO and is one of the closest allies (read puppets) of US imperialism in the Middle East.
Last June 2002, Memik Horuz was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment based on the false allegations of a government spy. Memik Horuz, journalist from the progressive publishing house “Umut Publishing” and elected Vice Chairperson of ILPS, has been kept in an F-type isolation cell since his arrest in June 18, 2001.
The International Campaign to Free Memik Horuz, a joint campaign led by the ILPS, People's Rights Watch (PRW) and International Association of People's Lawyers (IAPL) that was set up in order to expose the intolerable conditions for the free press, the injustices of the Turkish legal system and the situation of political prisoners, has worked tirelessly to fulfil this role in Turkey. The campaign has worked to secure the freedom of all political prisoners, including more than 125 journalists.
The ILPS calls on all it's member organisations and all other mass organisation and individuals throughout the world to condemn the current wave of attacks against the freedom of the press in Turkey and call on all democratic institutions particularly those concerned about the freedom of press to render every support to the various campaigns including the International Campaign to free Memik Horuz that are fighting to secure the release of the arrested journalists and staff currently imprisoned in Turkey.
The ILPS further urges all democratic and anti-imperialist mass organisation in Turkey to heighten their vigilance and understanding of the realities of the current wave of attacks in the light of the current offensive of the imperialist powers and reactionary forces under the guise of the “war against terrorism” and to unite and jointly work towards the building up people's resistance, to oppose and to defeat our common enemies. The ILPS as a whole and particularly the ILPS section in Turkey is committed through its charter and resolutions at its founding assembly to offer all its resources and energies to facilitate the building of such a weapon in the armoury of the workers and oppressed peoples in their struggle against the imperialism, fascism and all other reactionaries.
General Secretariat13/7/2002