More and more reactions are rising against the mass arrest of Kurds, intellectuals, lawyers and journalists in Turkey under the instruction of the AKP government.

Including Left Party Leader Lars Ohly, International PEN's vice-President Eugene Schoulin and Seko Union Chairman Giannis Kontantis, 90 intellectuals and politicians from Sweden made a joint call to Turkey and demanded the release of arrested journalists and politicians. The call was signed by Latin American, Iranian, Pakistani and Iraqi journalists and authors as well as Swedish, Kurdish and Turkish intellectuals.

The call of intellectuals, most of whom are journalists and authors, also urged the Swedish government to break its silence and to defend the freedom of press and expression. The statement also reminded of the most recent detention of over 40 journalists as a result of an operation which targeted media organizations, mainly against Özgür Gündem, Dicle News Agency, ANF and ETHA.

Remarking that the AKP government followed a “mass arrest” policy since 2009, the statement pointed out that those who criticized the government were arrested on charges of being a member of KCK. The statement added the followings;

“The attacks against the freedom of expression in Turkey have reached an alarming degree. Around seven thousand people are waiting to be tried for being a member of the BDP or a peace organization or writing in Kurdish. And around 3,895 arrestees will most probably be sentenced to imprisonment for expressing their thoughts.”

Besides deputies, “Latin American Groups” Chairman Francisco Contreras also put his signature under the statement.