BAMAD: "Ayşenur Arslan is not alone, journalism is not a crime"

An investigation was launched into journalist Ayşenur Arslan over her remarks regarding the attack carried out in front of the General Directorate of Security on October 1.

Halk TV Chairman of the Board Cafer Mahiroğlu announced that Arslan's program had been terminated.

Journalist Ayşenur Arslan was detained as part of the investigation launched by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

Following all these events, the Association for Press Freedom and Media Research (BAMAD) issued a written statement expressing their support for Ayşenur Arslan.

BAMAD made the following statement regarding the detained Ayşenur Arslan:

"Ayşenur Arslan is a journalist. She drew attention to suspicious points regarding a terrorist attack that the whole world is talking about. This is journalism. Both in the video that was edited and served, and in the program as a whole, what she meant is clearly understood.

Those who try to make Ayşenur Arslan a target are essentially targeting press freedom. Those who remain silent about what is being done to Arslan should realize that they are compromising on press freedom and journalism.

The witch hunt that began after the elections with Merdan Yanardağ and Barış Pehlivan was subsequently continued with Batuhan Çolak and Süha Çardaklı, and finally, Ayşenur Arslan was detained today. All these events will go down in the history of our country's press, freedom of expression, and democracy as tragicomic black marks.

We invite our colleagues, press organizations, academics, and legal experts, regardless of their views, to stand up for journalists who are being victimized, for the profession of journalism, and for press freedom. Ayşenur Arslan is not alone, journalism is not a crime!"