Former Editor in Chief for Özgür Gündem Eren Keskin said Özgür Gündem was the newspaper of Apê Musa, Ferhat Tepe, Hüseyin Deniz and that “Özgür Gündem has made them a promise. Like in the past, Özgür Gündem won’t be silent today.”
Former Editor in Chief for Özgür Gündem, Lawyer Eren Keskin spoke to the ANF about the raid conducted by masked special operations police in her home.
Following the court order to close Özgür Gündem, the police raid and the detentions, the publisher of the paper Kemal Sancılı’s, former editor in chief Eren Keskin’s and columnist Filiz Koçali’s residences were raided by the police. Keskin learned of the raid while in Amed on business and flew back to İstanbul in the evening. Keskin, who has been fighting for human rights and freedom of expression for years, was upset most by her 85 year old mother with a heart condition being subjected to this police raid. Keskin has seen all kinds of oppression over the years, ranging from death threats to armed attacks, from prison sentences to persecution, but said this is the first time her home was raided by special operations units in balaclavas. Keskin said her mother was very frightened by the incident, and that “When homes are raided because of thoughts, you can only talk about fascism, not democracy.” Keskin said, “I’m here, I’m not running,” and continued: “I have been a lawyer for years, I am at the court house every day, they could have called me in for a statement. Why are they raiding my home, why are they scaring my 85 year old mother?”
A COUP IS IN PROGRESS AGAINST ALL OF THE OPPOSITION
Keskin said her home being raided was a result of the operation on Özgür Gündem newspaper and that she was targeted because she worked as the editor in chief in the paper for some time. Keskin pointed out that the government had launched an all-out attack on the opposition, using the FETO operations as an excuse, and said: “Another coup against all of the opposition is in progress under the guise of stopping a coup. Even though the government had declared it wouldn’t be as such, we were expecting attacks against the opposition and that has started.”
Keskin said this pressure and these attacks will target those who stay silent today as well, and that everybody should voice democratic demands louder before it’s too late.
ÖZGÜR GÜNDEM WON’T BE SILENT, IT WILL CONTINUE TO TELL THE TRUTH
Keskin also protested the sealing of the paper and the battering and detention of many journalists, and stressed that Özgür Gündem won’t be silent, like it wasn’t in the past. Keskin underlined that Özgür Gündem was the newspaper of Apê Musa (Musa Anter), Ferhat Tepe and Hüseyin Deniz, and said, “Özgür Gündem has made them a promise.” Keskin said it wasn’t the first time Özgür Gündem faced pressure and was closed, and that Özgür Gündem won’t be silent and will continue to tell the truth.
