Gunluk (Daily) Newspaper was suspended 29th times. The decision of suspension shows what is or is not aimed. Gunluk is a newspaper that tries to create sensitivity about the Kurdish Question. Is the suspension of Gunluk an attempt to reach a solution without Kurds and Kurdish intellectuals? This situation indicates that the mentality, which said “if there is a need for communism in our country, we would bring it” is going on even today. On one hand there is attempt to give the impression of “reach to solution” under the name of “Kurdish Initiative”, “Democratic Initiative”, on the other hand the suspension of a sensitive newspaper about rights, freedoms and culture of Kurds indicates that there is no will to solve the Kurdish Question.
Many newspapers, which were sensitive about the rights and freedoms of Kurds, were suspended, closed down, bombed and journalists were killed and were subjected to serious imprisonments and fine in the past. In other words newspapers, which give voice to the Kurdish Question, were attempted to close down with all kinds of pressures and illegal methods but these kind of newspaper survived.
Pressures and violence methods have been used to solve the Kurdish Question for twenty five years, however; it is finally understood that these methods will not bring any solution to issue. Now, there are new attempts and initiatives. Despite these attempts and initiatives, human rights defender and members, administrators of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) and Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions (KESK) were detained and arrested. These detentions and arrests aim to weaken individuals and groups that are sensitive about democracy, freedoms and the Kurdish Question. Furthermore there are pressures against the press that is also sensitive about these issues. These pressures aim to make people that want peaceful and democratic solution to the Kurdish Question voiceless.
As human rights defenders, we have seen and experienced all kinds of pressures many times for the last twenty five years. It should not be forgotten that the current censorship is not only applied on Gunluk Newspaper but also on all of our opinions. Those, who want to make democracy and human rights defenders voiceless, should not forget they have admitted that “we did wrong” after they had resisted regarding the Kurdish Question for twenty five years. Today, each corpse, pressure against political parties and/or trade unions and pressures and censorship on the press will make the process faster, on the contrary; these kind of actions will cause a deadlock.
We think the suspension of the Gunluk Newspaper is an action against freedom of expression. It is not an action only against the Gunluk Newspaper but also all of our opinion. Therefore we say it is an action against the whole press and freedom of thought. We express our solidarity with the Gunluk Newspaper. We call for press and media companies to react rather than keep silent.
We call for everyone to become more sensitive about the suspension and show solidarity with the Gunluk Newspaper.
Ismail Boyraz
Vice-President