Değer has given statement at anti-terror directorate over her news article about allegations that commander Aksoy tortured villagers in Mardin

NİMET ÖLMEZ, DİYARBAKIR

An investigation has been launched against JinNews News Director Öznur Değer over her news article titled “Nisêbîn’deki işkence faili komutan Kamil Aksoy hakkında suç duyurusu” (Criminal complaint against commander Kamil Aksoy, perpetrator of torture in Nisêbîn) published on 16 July 2024. The file of the investigation initiated by the Mardin Chief Public Prosecutor's Office upon Aksoy's complaint on the suspicion of "marking those assigned with the fight against terrorism as targets” was sent to the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Öznur Değer gave her statement yesterday (14 October) at the Diyarbakır Anti-Terror Directorate (TEM).

Değer: "I practiced journalism on my free will, not upon an instruction"

In her police statement, Değer stated that she did not report news upon the instructions of anyone and that she was fulfilling her duty as a journalist: “I have been a journalist for five years, I receive a lot of news as part of my profession. I take an interest in all reports that reach me in the region and get informed about their content. As a result of the information I received about Kamil Aksoy, the commander mentioned in this news article, that he participated in many village raids, tortured people in the villages, verbally harassed women, humiliated the people there, threatened and swore at them, I did a local research. I prepared this news report without receiving any instructions from anyone, I did it as a result of my free journalistic will and conscientious ethics. People who were tortured there applied to the Mardin Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the Ministry of Defense, the Turkish Armed Forces and the Gendarmerie Command through their lawyers for a judicial and administrative investigation against the commander Kamil Aksoy. The lawyer of one of the applicants was also informed in writing that he could apply to the relevant authorities there. Judicial and administrative investigations have been launched against the commander in question for many criminal offenses, including abuse of office, and these investigations are ongoing.”

“I went to the raided village to investigate the incident”

Speaking to Expression Interrupted, Öznur Değer drew attention to her news article that was subject to the investigation. Değer said the following: “On 9 July 2024, soldiers raided Eskihisar village in Mardin's Nusaybin district. After receiving the news about the raid at around 4.00 a.m. and the villagers being subjected to torture, I went to the village during the day to investigate the incident. However, I saw the traces of the raid in the village and the wounds of those who were subjected to torture were still very fresh. Everywhere had been ransacked, women and children had been subjected to many forms of violence, especially psychological violence. A 70-year-old woman was subjected to sexist swears, women were verbally harassed and threatened. Villagers were also threatened with death. While the picture revealed torture, three women and a child were also detained by soldiers for hours and released after the public reactions. As a result of my research in the village, interviews with eyewitnesses and investigations, I learned that the commander Kamil Aksoy was the one who ordered the torture in the village and subjected the women to verbal harassment and sexist discourse, and that this was not the commander's first instance of torture in the region. In response, a criminal complaint was filed against the commander, and I tried to publicize what happened in the village by reporting on it. Subsequently, upon the order of the commander in question, an access block was imposed on my report. Three months later, again upon the complaint of the commander, an investigation was launched against me for ‘marking those assigned with the fight against terrorism as targets'.”

“As journalists, we are constantly forced to live our lives under threat”

Reacting to the investigations and lawsuits against journalists over their news items, Değer spoke as follows: “Turkey is one of the leading countries where freedom of the press is trampled underfoot and journalists, like women and children, are not safe. Unfortunately, there is not a single day in the country when journalists are not under pressure by judiciary and the police. We can be subjected to police violence and detention, our equipment can be damaged, we can be subjected to insults, countless investigations and arrests over the news we report. This is the most important indicator of Turkey's approach to the press. Just two days ago, on 13 October, many of our journalist friends were subjected to police violence during the Freedom Rally in Diyarbakır. Again, we journalists are repressed and forced to live our lives under threat because we bring to light incidents that the state either perpetrated or cleared the perpetrators of. Recently, my journalist friend Rabia Önver was targeted and an investigation was launched against her because of the drug-prostitution ring she exposed. In fact, I could list more examples, but these are the most recent examples of the Turkish government's approach to the press, journalists and truth-seekers. As each day passes with investigations, prosecution and pressure, our truth-seeking against this will of course not end.”