On the 50th day of the “Editor-in-Chiefs on Watch” campaign launched in solidarity with the newspaper Özgür Gündem, Can Dündar took on the role of editor in chief for one day.

Dündar gave a speech before the news meeting in the paper and said: “Yesterday’s arrests were a message. The message is, if you stand with the truth, you will be arrested. We received the message, and we are here to stand by them. Today is the day to do whatever they tell us not to. We will carry this struggle forward.” Dündar expressed that the arrestees were all valuable people, and continued: “We can make them back down if we stand together. All professional groups should support their own colleagues. The headline of the paper is very apt, we should insist on solidarity.” Dündar added: “We celebrate them for this struggle, we will continue to support them.”

Zana Kaya, one of the editors of the paper, said: “We have seen this oppression many times before, everybody knows where history puts those people who carry out this oppression. We will get past this with solidarity.”

GROWING SUPPORT

Journalists will gather at 11.00 and say they are ready to be the editor in chief in solidarity with Özgür Gündem. There will be a meeting of institutions, unions and political parties in front of the Özgür Gündem building at 13.30 to protest the arrests.