Journalists across the country will march from Galatasaray to Taksim Square in Istanbul on 2 February in solidarity with jailed journalists who will appear in court on 4 February. They are tried within the scope of the "Kurdish Communities Union (KCK) press case" in Istanbul. The march will be held in the evening in the most central and crowded of Istanbul streets.
Thirty two out of the thirty six journalists who were arrested on 20 December 2011 in the scope of so-called KCK operation are still in prison. A total of forty four journalists, most of whom work for the Kurdish media, are accused of alleged ties with the KCK organization.
In a written statement on the protest demonstration in solidarity with jailed press members, a group of journalists said they will take to the streets to respond to the pressures of the AKP (Justice and Development Party) government and to demand freedom for journalists behind bars.
“As the AKP government continues to jail journalists as a part of its concept to suppress and intimidate all opponent circles, we are taking to the streets to announce that we will not end our search of the truth”, said journalists and called on all sensitive circles to join the “Freedom for Jailed Journalists” march on 2 February.