Dicle News Agency (DÝHA) Editor Abdurrahman Gök said in a press conference that arrests and repression targeting DÝHA have recently increased as another Kurdish press employee from the Kurdish Azadiya Welat daily was taken into custody in Adana a couple of days ago in the context of the endless KCK (Kuridstan Communities Union) operation.

“DÝHA has been the first to give the news of the Roboski massacre as well as Pozantý prison. This is probably why our reporters have been taken into custody and arrested,” said Gök noting that DÝHA has been facing repression since its establishment because of its loyalty to truth.

Gök criticized the prime minister’s claim that journalists are not arrested because of their professional activities and suggested he read the indictment against DÝHA reporter Hamdiye Çiftçi, which openly accuses Çiftçi because of her journalistic activities.

Gök also pointed out that the arrest of Özlem Aðuþ who revealed the sexual abuse incidents in Pozantý prison was the most recent example of the pressure against the news agency.

“The Anti-Terror Law (TMK) and the change in the Press Code aim to eliminate the freedom of press by means of justice in Turkey. We invite the human rights associations, the Professional bodies and the public to be sensitive about the policies of oppression and arrest against the dissident press in general and against our agency in particular,” noted Gök.

Here is a list of jailed DÝHA reporters and employees:

Kadri Kaya: Diyarbakýr Representative, arrested on April 19, 2011.

Erdoðan Altan: Batman reporter, arrested on April 19, 2011.

Feyyaz Demir: Ankara reporter, arrested on June 6, 2011.

Aydýn Yýldýz: Mersin reporter, arrested on October 4, 2011.

Abdullah Çetin: Kurtalan reporter, arrested on December 16, 2011.

Zuhal Tekiner: Licensee, arrested on December 24, 2011.

Ramazan Pekgöz: Editor, arrested on December 24, 2011.

Mazlum Özdemir: Editor, arrested on December 24, 2011.

Ertuþ Bozkurt: Editor, arrested on December 24, 2011.

Kenan Kýrkaya: Ankara representative, arrested on December 24, 2011.

Fatma Koçak: Editor-in-chief, arrested on December 24, 2011.

Semiha Alankuþ: Editor, arrested on December 24, 2011.

Sadýk Topaloðlu: Urfa reporter, arrested on December 24, 2011.

Çaðdaþ Kaplan: Ýstanbul reporter, arrested on December 24, 2011.

Ömer Çelik: Ýstanbul reporter, arrested on December 24, 2011.

Pervin Yerlikaya: Accountant, arrested on December 24, 2011.

Nilgün Yýldýz: Mardin reporter, arrested on December 24,

Þahabettin Demir: Van reporter.

Faysal Tunç: Þýrnak reporter. Charged to six years and three months on the allegation of helping the illegal organization without being its member.

Hamdiye Çiftçi: Hakkari reporter, arrested on June 14, 2010.

Mehmet Karaaslan: Mersin reporter, arrested on April 21, 2007.

Sinan Aygül: Bitlis reporter, arrested on January 23, 2011.

Murat Aydýn: Muþ reporter, arrested on October 22, 2011.

Murat Çiftçi: Ankara reporter, arrested on January 30, 2012.

Gülsen Aslan: Batman reporter, arrested on February 21, 2012.

Özlem Aðuþ: Adana reporter, arrested on March 9, 2012.