Attorney Emine Özhasar from the MLSA Legal Unit visited Etkin News Agency (ETHA) reporters Pınar Gayıp, Nadiye Gürbüz and Elif Bayburt, who were arrested in the Feb. 3 operation, at Bakırköy Closed Women’s Prison. It was observed that the journalists’ health conditions and morale were good.
The journalists sent a message from prison to their colleagues and to the public.
Elif Bayburt: “We take our accusation as a badge of honor”
Elif Bayburt stated the following in her message:
“Hello to everyone. First of all, we thank everyone, especially our colleagues, very much for the great solidarity shown to us. The reason for our arrest is the entirety of our journalistic activities, from the March 12 Gazi massacre commemorations we followed to the Suruç commemorations, from the March 19 actions to the unions’ actions against worker killings. In addition, as a workers’ assembly volunteer, the work we carried out against child worker killings is also among the accusations.”
Bayburt continued her message as follows: “That is, as a whole, we are accused of making the voice of the working class and the oppressed heard and of doing socialist journalism by taking their side. We take this accusation as a badge of honor. If making the voice of the working class, women and youth heard against worker killings, mass massacres and repression is a crime, we will continue to commit this crime.”
Bayburt lastly added: “We are well, we are only curious about what is happening outside, about the revolution, since almost no opposition press enters here. Therefore, we expect lots and lots of letters and books from everyone. We will also continue to produce, and we trust our colleagues outside in filling the gaps.”
Nadiye Gürbüz: “Socialist journalism will not be silenced”
In her message, Nadiye Gürbüz emphasized that they will continue to do journalism at a time when socialist journalism is considered a crime. Gürbüz stated that their work and the publishing activities they carried out through the media are being presented as a crime. Gürbüz said that their friendship, socialist solidarity and the struggle for press freedom will continue.
Pınar Gayıp: “Our pens are with you”
Pınar Gayıp said the following in her message: “Although I have been doing journalism for years, my house was raided and I was taken into custody. I was targeted with news made on top of countless unlawfulnesses. If making the news of the oppressed is a crime, we as ETHA workers will continue to commit this crime. The socialist press will not be silenced, its proof is history. With love to those who show solidarity. Our pens are with you.”
What had happened?
On Feb. 3, police carried out an operation against the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) and also against organizations including the Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF), the Socialist Women’s Assemblies (SKM), the Limter-İş Union affiliated with DİSK, Polen Ecology, the Law Office of the Oppressed (EHB) and the Science Education Aesthetics Culture Arts Research Foundation (BEKSAV).
Police broke down the door and entered ETHA’s office in Aksaray, seized the hard drives of the computers and confiscated the journalists’ computers and phones.
Of the 95 people taken into custody, 77 were arrested by the court they were brought before on Feb. 5-6. Among those arrested were ETHA employee journalists Pınar Gayıp, Nadiye Gürbüz, Elif Bayburt and Müslüm Koyun. ETHA reporter Züleyha Müldür was released with a ban on leaving the country and under judicial control conditions.
Gürbüz, Gayıp and Bayburt were sent to Bakırköy Closed Women’s Prison, while Koyun was sent to Metris Prison.
