The KCK operations today have targeted Kurdish media and press members. Simultaneous raids were carried out in the central and branch offices of daily Özgür Gündem and Dicle News Agency,as well as in the Istanbul offices of Etik News Agency, Gün Printing Office and Democratic Modernity magazine. The raids were carried out in the context of the so called Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) operation.
Özgür Gündem Istanbul office and all branch offices of Dicle News Agency in Diyarbakýr, Ankara, Istanbul, Urfa and Van have been raided upon the instruction of Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court.
Among the journalists taken into custody are DÝHA’s Ankara reporter Kenan Kýrýkkaya, Diyarbakýr reporter Mazlum Özdemir, Van reporter Evrim Kepenek, as well as DÝHA reporters Semiha Alankuþ, Sadýk Topaloðlu, Fatma Koçak, Çaðdaþ Kaplan, Zuhal Tekiner, Ömer Çelik, Kurdish media journalist Zeynep Kuray, left news agency ETHA’s editor and journalist Arzu Demir, Democratic Modernity magazine broadcasting board member Nahide Ermiþ and journalist Dilek Demirel.
According to reports coming through, Etik Agency Director Davut Uçar and journalist Hüseyin Deniz have also been taken into custody in their houses this morning. Gün Printing Office shareholder Þerafettin Sümeli and Fýrat Distribution worker Ertuþ Bozkurt were also detained today within the scope of the same operation.
13 DÝHA reporters are currently in prison. Eight of them have been formally charged.
On the other hand, four children were taken into custody yesterday evening in Adana. Detentions came after BDP Adana Organization's protest demonstration staged yesterday against the isolation of PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) Leader Abdullah Öcalan and ongoing military and political operations. Four children are reported held at Adana Security Directorate's Child Branch.