DAILY NEWS

311 people detained in Turkey, for campaigning against Afrin operation

311 people were detained in Turkey, during the past week on charges of 'promoting terrorism' in connection with the operation in Afrin.

311 people detained in Turkey, for campaigning against Afrin operation

Turkish officials say authorities have detained 311 people for allegedly engaging in "terrorist propaganda" through social media postings critical of Turkey's military offensive into the Afrin.

An Interior Ministry statement on Monday says the suspects, who are accused of "promoting terrorism", were detained in the past week. It didn't provide further details.

The Labour Party of Turkey (EMEP) members Bilal Karaman and Neslihan Karyemez were arrested for allegedly distributing a leaflet, calling for peace on the Afrin operation.

INVESTIGATION INTO HDP MP OSMAN BAYDEMİR OVER ‘AFRIN’

Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has declared that an investigation has been launched against Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Urfa MP Osman Baydemir due to his statements and tweets about Afrin operation.

According to the statement issued by the prosecutor’s office, Baydemir was prosecuted on charges of “Inciting people to enmity and hostility”, “Insulting Turkish nation, State of Republic of Turkey” and “inciting people to fight state” due to the statements he made yesterday.

The written statement issued by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office expressed that Baydemir has been prosecuted due to his tweets on January 28 about Afrin operation.
Baydemir has become the fourth HDP MP

Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had launched investigation against HDP Spokesperson Ayhan Bilgen and HDP Deputy Co-Chair Nadir Yıldırım due to their statements about Afrin.

An investigation was launched against HDP Dersim MP Alican Önlü on January 22.

Baydemir became the fourth HDP MP who has been prosecuted.

JOURNALISTS WERE ARRESTED

İshak Karakaş, the editor of the newspaper Halkın Nabzı and a columnist for the exile news website Artı Gerçek, were arrested in Istanbul on the night of 21 January.

This new wave of intimidation has had repercussions beyond Turkey’s borders. Hundreds of angry protesters attacked the headquarters of the newspaper Afrika in North Nicosia, the capital of Northern Cyprus, smashing its windows with stones and removing a sign with the newspaper’s name while police looked on without intervening.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had publicly decried Afrika as “immoral” for describing the Afrin offensive as a “new occupation by Turkey” after its occupation of Northern Cyprus in 1974. “They will have to answer for this to my brothers and sisters,” Erdoğan warned.

Turkey is ranked 155th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2017 World Press Freedom Index. The already worrying media situation has become critical under the state of emergency that was proclaimed after a coup attempt in July 2016. Around 150 media outlets have been closed, mass trials are being held and the country now holds the world record for the number of professional journalists detained. (EVRENSEL DAILY)


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