Perturbed at the country’s relegation

İklim Öngel
 
CHP Deputy General Chair Zeynep Altıok visited our detained colleagues in Silivri and university student Muhammet Ali Gül, who has been detained for making a ‘no’ video. With our newspaper’s editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu saying, ‘We have been in detention for six months. There are still three months until we will appear before a judge. But, this does not upset me as much as the league to which PACE has relegated Turkey and the 155^th place Reporters Without Borders has placed my country in,’ Executive Board Chair Akın Atalay gave the message, ‘Our newspaper has not bowed and has not surrendered. They have not left us on our own.’ The CHP’s Altıok visited some of our detained columnists, cartoonists and managers in Silivri. She imparted the following impressions and messages:
 ‘Our newspaper did not bow’
Akın Atalay: ‘The thinking behind the indictment becomes clearly apparent in the conclusion and assessment section on page 251. It is of no significance that the activity conducted is conducted on a legitimate plane. For example, if a doctor is not an organisation member and treats an organisation member brought to him clandestinely, he commits the crime of aiding. Even matters that under normal conditions merit consideration as journalistic activity are classified in this way. I express special thanks to our paper. It has not bowed. It has not surrendered. Bülent (Özdoğan) and his team have made our detention meaningful and bearable. They have not left us on our own.’
 ‘Justice for everyone’
Murat Sabuncu: ‘We have been in detention for six months. There are still three months until we will appear before a judge. But, this does not upset and trouble me as much as the league to which PACE has relegated Turkey and the 155^th place Reporters Without Borders has placed my country in. I do not have the slightest concern over our Cumhuriyet columnists and managers’ future, or my own. I know that these days will pass and the day beckons when we will be acquitted and reunited with our relatives. My wish is for people of all opinions in Turkey to live shoulder by shoulder without marginalising others. As I always say, I want justice for everyone who has been detained for their thoughts and opinions, not just for myself.’
 ‘Society was not taken in’
Muhammet Ali Gül: ‘I expected it to end like this. It is in the video, anyway. They wanted to shift the blame for all the errors of fifteen years onto “no”, and still want to. They target everyone who was making the case for “no” and setting out legitimate reasons. Society was not taken in and gave a huge message.’
Deniz Yücel: ‘Large numbers of letters have come but only three were forwarded. I wrote a petition and no reply was forthcoming. There is an immediate reply to petitions drafted about repair or health matters, sometimes even on the same day. This petition of mine has remained unanswered.’
 ‘They are in good spirits’
The CHP’s Altıok, stating that 105 signed books addressed in person to Turhan Günay were withheld, and after the problem was aired in the press and a variety of initiatives were taken, Günay was united with his books, said, ‘They can now have books delivered from the outside for money. Turhan Günay is on the jury for the Association for the Support of Contemporary Living’s short story prizes. He has read the candidate books and conveyed his opinion.’ The CHP’s Altıok summed up her impressions as follow: ‘They are all in good spirits and are tenacious and resolute. They are following the agenda and developments like journalists on the outside. They are perturbed at the position to which Turkey has been relegated in the international arena. PACE is rightly upsetting them on behalf of Turkey.’