‘Don’t take a picture, don’t record’: Arresting of journalists Be fear in Turkey – BBC News in Serbian

It was early in the morning of 23. Marta when the police came to the Jasin’s door in Istanbul – while his children were still in bed.

Just a few hours earlier, the Turkish photo reporter returned home from reporting mass anti-government protests.

Now was a man asked for the police.

« I went to the door and saw in front of many police officers, » he says.

« They said they had an order for me, but they didn’t reveal the details. My son was awake, and I couldn’t tell him what was happening, because I didn’t know anything. »

Akgul (35) saw a « many action » for more than a decade since the photo reporter for the AFP news agency – from war-destroyed Syria to Iraq under the control of the Islamic State.

At home, the police beat him a few times while photographing, he says – even on World Peace Day – and was attritioned « countless times ».

But this was the first time he was arrested at home.

« Jeza got in the house, » he told us.

« As part of the work, in protests, I saw a lot of violence, and tears, but when the police came to my door, I was more scared. »

Akgul was one of the seven journalists arrested in raids at dawn.

Everyone reported from protests, launched by the arrest of the opposition mayor of Ekrem Imakru – the main political rival of the longtime ruler of Turkey’s Redžep Tajip Erdogan.

Protesters say the arrest of the mayor according to the charges of corruption, which he denies, politically motivated – an attempt to hope that he will become the next president of the country.

Authorities banned the protests, but they could not stop them.

Akgul faces charges that « participated in illegal protests and marches ».

He says the goal is clear – prevent others from painting the photos of the largest unrest in Turkey after more than a decade.

He found himself in the focus of the event – with a gas mask on his face – when he made some of the most latergeted images of that night.

Its photos shows a man dressed as Dervish while police for breaking demonstrations of tears tearing – striking scenes of fighting Turkey who visited the world, before they settled behind bars.

« This is a message for all journalists, » he says.

« Don’t take a picture, don’t talk, don’t film. They want to scare other journalists that if they come to the field, the same thing could happen. »

The fact that he works for the International News Agency, AFP, makes this message even louder, he believes.

It was received and understood correctly.

« After we were arrested, many journalists of Free people could not record the next day. Everyone was afraid, » he told us, sitting at the couch at home with the woman of Hazal.

Their three-year-old Ipek daughter lay on the couch, holding the father’s father.

Their son Umut, who has eight years old, listened carefully what is said, carrying hat and glasses in the charite charm style.

Akgul believes that arrested were carefully selected – among them were experienced photo reporters.

« They’re trying to remove us from the first front line, » he says.

Many of his friends – a fellow journalist – they already removed, leaving Turkey, because they were faced with charges or feared they would happen to them.

For now, his family is among many who are afraid of here to be able to separate them courts.

The government claims that the judiciary is independent.

Human rights groups claim that judges are under political control, and that Turkey’s democracy is being violated from year to year.

President Erdogan – which has numerous loyal supporters – still holds firmly in the hand of the power of power.

He says that the protests are « Street terrorism » and accuses the opposition to lead the « Violence Movement ».

He predicted that the demonstration would be plunged.

Maybe. Maybe it won’t.

And while Jasin Akgul was released from prison in the morning 27. Marta, the BBC journalist Mark Louen was deported from Istanbul, after 5 pm spent in custody.

He got the papers in which he claimed was « a threat to public order and peace ».

The authorities later said – after the BBC reported on this story – that he was deported because he had no accreditation.

And not only journalists who are endangered.

One of the mayor’s lawyers was detained for a short time « by fictitious bases », according to the public networks, sent from his own cell in a maximally secured prison.

His legal team provides resistance, but they feel the foward.

« The right to defense is, I think, it is a fair trial that your lawyers feel comfortable and safe, » says Eyde Guner, who is also a lawyer and mayor’s adviser.

« It would be a lie that no one was worried, to be quite honest, » but we still believe that we have a duty to our country to tell the truth, to preserve democracy and the rule of law. « 

What state is Turkish democracy currently?

Some fear that they are exhaled.

In the last two weeks – since the protests started 19. Marta – about 2,000 people were detained, according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Many of them are students and members of Erdogan’s generation – those who know only for a 22-year-old rule of the Turkish long-standing leader.

Their arrest sends one completely different message.

« It’s a huge warning of young people, clearly and loud warning – don’t mix, » said Emma Sinkler-Web, director Hjuman Rajts Voca for Turkey.

She says that the government also « has ascended in all directions against forces as the opposition » from every sphere of life, not only from the mayor’s Republican People’s Party (CHP), which is the largest opposition party.

« Public bodies are hit, » she says.

« If they are advertised and invited to their voice of authority, the attempt at their suffocation momentarily follows. »

It expects that attempts to confide protests and efforts will continue to « make » invisible « in the coming months.

It will not be difficult to keep in mind the government strict control over the media.

Huge demonstrations held so far did not open news on state television and pro-government media, and when they were shown protesters were called terrorists.

The most recent rally – from last weekend – attracted at least a hundred thousand people.

The opposition claims that more than two million people were present.

Some families brought more generations of their members to hear calls for changes under the warm sun.

We have seen the usual great presence of the police, but this time there were no tears or rubber bullets.

This rally was not banned.

We met Alps (32), who said he came to defend democracy while there is still time.

We didn’t ask him about last name – many protesters don’t like to give it.

He said he was worried about the possibility of arrest.

« The police gathers students, women and working people like us, » he said.

« And that’s why we’re all in danger now. But we have to get up. It’s our only choice, if we’re not just watching, the battle will be lost before. »

The opposition promises to continue with protests and campaign in the streets.

It requires that the presidential election is held before 2028. years.

Opposition polls show that President Erdogan would lose from Imamoglua – if he was released from prison and if it was possible to run.

The President himself should not be able to run – as it is already in the second term – but there are speculations that will try to change the constitution.

The opposition insists that there will be weekly protests from now on.

If so, it looks almost certain that arrests will continue.

It is not the most clear whether the case of Jasa Akgula will be found in court, but the accusations against him are still in force.

Despite the danger, he hopes to continue to tell the story here.

« Someone has to do this job, » he says, « And I think I’m one of those people. »

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