Turkish state lash out against Marxist leninist Communist Party (MLKP)
On 8-9 September, 23 people known by their revolutionary and socialist identities, including Ibrahim Cicek, the Chief Editor of weekly revolutionary socialist newspaper, Sedat Senoglu, the Vice Chief Editor, Bayram Namaz, one of the writers of newspaper, Ziya Ulusoy, the former Chief Editor, and Fusun Erdogan, the Chief Coordinator of Ozgur Radio, have been taken into police custody in various cities.
While detainees are being kept in the Vatan Anti-Terror Branch in Istanbul, the workers of the Atilim Newspaper have organized a press meeting in Istanbul-Galatasaray Square on 10 September. The meeting was also supported by different revolutionary and democratic organizations and individuals such as Human Rights Association, Solidarity Platform with Imprisoned Journalists, ILPS, ESP, Partizan, Isci Koylu Newspaper, Tekstil-Sen Union, FHDD (Solidarity Association with the Palestinian People), DISK/Limter-Is Union, SGD and Ozgur Radio.
In the press meeting which was attended by 100 people, together with Atilim Newspaper and placards writing “You are not strong to defeat us!”, “Ibrahim Cicek Must Be Released!”, “Detainees Must Be Released!” in their hands, it was said “Yesterday, our Chief Editor, Ibrahim Cicek, has been taken into police custody while traveling in a car that he had hitchhiked in Manisa. He is now being kept in Istanbul Anti-Terror Branch”. It was also stressed that the detained revolutionaries, except Ibrahim Cicek, are not allowed to speak with their relatives and solicitors.
The Atilim Newspaper workers, who touched on the connection between the attacks and the “Terror Summits” organized by AKP (Justice and Development Party) and Generals, and with the new Anti-Terror Laws, have demanded the immediate release of detained revolutionaries by saying “You are not strong to defeat us!”.
Lawyer Eren Keskin also made a statement in the press meeting and said that Arzu Torun, together with someone else, is also kidnapped by the police in Adana airport. She said Torun had asked for help at the time of kidnapping by shouting “Call my Lawyer, Eren Keskin, they want to disappear me” and added that the eye-witnesses had informed her about the incident.
The representative of Solidarity Platform with Imprisoned Solicitors (TGDP) also made a statement and said that they demand immediate release of the ones who are detained. He ask on duty the national and international press institutions of profession, the organizations which are sensitive about human rights for the release of detainees.
On the other hand, International Committee against Disappearances (ICAD) also protested the police detentions and stated that they worry about the life of Arzu Torun who had been kidnapped by the police. ICAD demanded the release of Arzu Torun and all other detainees.
September 11, 2006
