Barış Terkoğlu, a well-known journalist, author, and critic of the ruling AKP government, was detained early on March 4 over-reporting news on OdaTV regarding the funeral ceremony of a Turkish intelligence officer who was killed along with some Turkish troops during military operations in Libya.
Following the detainment of Terkoğlu, Hülya Kılınç, the reporter who wrote the intelligence officer’s story on OdaTV, was also detained. As Terkoğlu and Kılınç are charged with “obtaining and revealing intelligence-related documents”, the two journalists were arrested early today. Both journalists have rejected the charges.
Meanwhile, the intelligence officer’s name was previously mentioned by a lawmaker from the opposition party İYİP. Following a press conference of the lawmaker last week, some other media outlets already mentioned the story of the killed intelligence agent before OdaTV’s report.
“I don’t think I am a suspect here in relation to this news report. This news is a fabricated pretext to make me a defendant in these trials,” Terkoğlu has said in his statement. “We’ll never surrender to the gang that is plotting against us under the pretext of reporting news,” Terkoğlu vowed, indicating to some cliques within the government.
TKP: “TERKOĞLU MUST BE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY”
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of Turkey’s daily podcast, “Voice of TKP”, has called for the release of Barış Terkoğlu, adding that the AKP government prevents the people’s freedom of information as it controls nearly 95 percent of the media in Turkey.
The Enlightenment Movement Against Reaction, a left-wing progressive organization struggling against the ruling AKP’s religious and anti-scientific impositions and religious orders, has released a statement following the detainment of Terkoğlu, who was among the initial founders of the Enlightenment Movement in early 2016.
“The truths cannot be concealed,” the Enlightenment Movement has said, calling for putting an end to such unlawful practices as the detainment of Terkoğlu, preventing the people’s freedom of information. The Enlightenment Movement has saluted Terkoğlu for his brave and uncompromising journalism as the comrade of the struggle for enlightenment in Turkey.
Terkoğlu is also among the signatories of a recent petition campaign against the AKP government’s Syrian policies. “Hands off Syria, soldiers must return home!” Turkey's intellectuals, politicians, artists, trade unionists as well as TKP cadres have said, calling for the end of Turkey’s military presence in Syria and the return of Turkish troops safely.
