İSTANBUL – Imprisoned editor in chief of Özgür Gündem newspper Inan Kızılkaya could pleaded first time against charges. Kızılkaya “ They told ‘I will kill you as we killed Musa Anter ‘ to me. But A journalist can’t play ostrich and can’t say ‘ See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil’” said.

The case of Imprisoned editor in chief of closed Özgür Gündem Newspaper Inan Kızılkaya, authors Necmiye Alpay,Aslı Erdoğan,Ragıp Zarakoğlu, Filiz Koçali, Eren Keskin, Zana Kaya, Kemal Sancılı and Bilge Aykut was heard in İstanbul.

Here is the summary of Kızılkaya’s statement ;

“ Journalism is to be one who published a report which no one else reports. Numbers masked special forces with heavy weapons raided to our newspaper on 16 July 2016. They started to battered workers of the newspaper as saying ‘ We will show you to power of Turk’. Then we were taken into custody by defamations and cursing. Assaults was continuing at the bus towards us as well. I was threated as said ‘ we will kill you as we killed Musa Anter’ to me. We were kept in animal housing for a night then I was jailed. Tortures continued in prison too.

I can send limited letters to out side. For example the letters I sent to Turkish Journalists’ Association (TGC) and Progressive Journalist Association (ÇGD) weren’t delivered because of it was found objectionable. Also receiving books and newspapers that I demanded from outside isn’t accepted by prison’s authorities.

The newspaper I am working has criticizing view which have from its past. The first principal of journalism is freedom of editorial and no one can interfere to editor’s news. Therefore a journalist can’t judged because of this.

Trial is still continuing.