Two More Journalists in Detention
Dünya Radio broadcasting director Kenan Karavil and Seyithan Akyüz, Adana correspondent of the Kurdish daily Azadiya Welat, were arrested by the Police Directorate Anti-Terror Branch in Adana, south-eastern Anatolia. After the journalists had been kept in custody for 4 days, they are now in detention in the Adana Kürkçüler Prison.
The prosecutor's office took their statements and demanded detention for both journalists. The Adana 8th High Criminal Court followed the demand in the evening hours of 10 December and ordered detention for Karavil and Akyüz. Both press people stand accused for keeping connections to the militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Karanvil was taken into custody in the Adana Gülbahçesi district on 7 December. The same day, Dicle News Agency (DİHA) and the Ayadiya Welat Adana Correspondence were raided. A total of 24 people have been taken into custody in Adana on 7 December.
DİHA and Azadiya Welat employees in prison
Gün TV broadcasting director Ahmet Birsin is in prison since 14 April under allegations of having established connections to the PKK organization. DİHA employees Ali Buluş and Mehmet Karaaslan were taken into custody on 19 April 2007. They are imprisoned in the Mersin E Type Prison (eastern Mediterranean coast) after they were convicted of "membership to an illegal organization". The file has been forwarded to the Court of Appeals.
DİHA journalists Faysal Tunç and Behdin Tunç have been taken into custody on 5 April 2007. The Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court found them guilty of "Assisting the PKK". Both journalists are imprisoned in Diyarbakır (south-eastern Turkey).
Şırnak Agency journalist Haydar Haykır was taken into custody in the Cizre district of Şırnak (south-eastern Anatolia) on 8 January 2008. He was detained in the Batman H Type Prison on 12 January. However, it is not clear yet whether these detentions are certainly related to "journalistic activities".
Former Azadiya Welat newspaper editor-in-chief Vedat Kurşun is kept in detention since 30 January 2009 under charges of "spreading PKK propaganda" via the articles and news items published in the daily. (EÖ/VK)