First statement from journalist Özlem Gürses after being placed under house arrest and banned from traveling abroad

Journalist Özlem Gürses, who was issued a travel ban and placed under house arrest, described her experience during a live broadcast on Sözcü TV.

Gürses made the following remarks during the live broadcast:

"I had never given a statement at the security branch in my life, I had never been handcuffed, I had never slept on a plastic bed in a detention cell... It was an interesting experience for me. I am grateful to everyone who treated me with care for hours...

I thank everyone who supported me. I would never insult the TSK (Turkish Armed Forces). Everyone knows that I fight against and oppose bloodthirsty terrorist organizations; they know I would not place myself in the same category as these structures.

But one can be forced to explain themselves for hours over a single word, and it is very exhausting; I don't think it serves anyone. These kinds of traumas harm social peace; countless colleagues of ours have experienced these situations.

I had never been attacked by trolls like this in my life.

When asked 'Were you afraid?', Gürses gave the following response:

No, you can't call it fear; fear is a different word. That emotion is foreign to us, otherwise we couldn't do our jobs! I thought about my mother being afraid; she is 77 years old, she had no way to reach me, and she was in a state of not knowing what to do. I told her, 'Don't be afraid.'

I realized I had no Plan B; I saw that. They asked me, "Who would you like to call?" but I didn't have anyone's phone number in my memory. I was so unprepared and hadn't even considered it; such a thing is not in the design of my life. I saw this once, and it was a huge lesson for me...

Gürses's son, Uzay, also described his experience with these words:

I was angry and anxious, but I was relieved at the end of the news that came...

Özlem Gürses continued her words as follows:

Two of my emotions were very intense: anxiety, because I had upset my loved ones—I apologized to everyone for upsetting you... This point that the conditions of doing our job and the country's climate have brought us to is very terrifying!

Dear elders, these are things that benefit no one. Look, the world is a place of fire, the economy is bad, Turkey has many urgent and important needs. First of all, I was in a state of sadness.

Secondly, there was the feeling of injustice that came with the question of 'why'. I confronted myself; these were the things I experienced most intensely.

There is a frame where they took me into the hospital in handcuffs; normally they could have been put behind my back, but I guess that's how it had to be. There were people I made eye contact with while walking there. I saw the looks in people's eyes; they looked as if to say, 'We know you, sister,' and showed their support. These are scenes I will never forget...

I have never had a style of insulting or offending Turkey's valuable institutions or upsetting our Mehmetçik (soldiers). This country, with all its institutions, belongs to all of us. If this caused sadness in their hearts, we should not do this to them. We must not hurt their hearts any further.

I thank my friends who did not withhold their support very much. I believe in the principle of free, independent, and honorable journalism... I have confronted myself by thinking about what I did right and what I did wrong...

Continuing to do journalism...