Haber Merkezi

A press statement was held ahead of the hearing for our reporter İsmail Arı, who will stand before a judge for the first time. In the statement, BirGün Publication Coordinator Yaşar Aydın said, "We will not take a single step back from this. İsmail wrote even in prison. From the moment he comes out, he will continue to write"; meanwhile, TGS Ankara Branch President Tartaoğlu noted, "In a short while, we will be inside fighting against the crime of declaring journalism a crime. In a short while, we will put those who commit this crime on trial alongside İsmail."

BirGün reporter İsmail Arı, who has been detained for 75 days for practising journalism, appeared before a judge for the first time today. In his defence, İsmail Arı stated that he was being punished for doing journalism and requested his acquittal. Following the defence put forward by Arı and his lawyers, the prosecutor requested the continuation of the detention of İsmail Arı, who has been held in prison for 2.5 months. Announcing its ruling after the objections raised by the lawyers, the presiding judge ordered Arı's release. İsmail Arı will be released from Sincan Prison, where he is currently detained.

The government has no weapon in its inventory to defeat popular opposition: 'Absolute Nullity' will not suffice for the Palace

Social dynamics extending from youth protests to the struggle for labour and demands for democracy are shaping politics. Experts state that the demand for change can only be met through a partnership that encompasses this energy.

The policies pursued by the Palace regime in agriculture are forcing the producer to migrate, leaving the remaining fields to corporations. Stating that the wheat and barley purchase prices are below costs, producers said, “This is a conscious choice.” In Konya, labourers showed their reaction by marching towards the Ankara road, but their path was blocked by a gendarmerie barricade. In Osmaniye, a farmer opened his field to the public when he could not sell the onions he produced: "They have left us in need of dry bread and onions."

The labourer worked for taxes and inflation for at least 12 days of May. In 5 months, 4,633 Liras melted away from the minimum-wage earner, and 15,537 Liras out of the pocket of an average worker. According to DISK-AR, the inflation and tax deducted from the labourer in 5 months amounts to 890 billion TL.

Journalists will appear before the judge this week as well due to their reporting. While journalistic activities are made the subject of accusation in the lawsuits, a demonstration will be held in Beyoğlu tomorrow for the detained ETHA labourers.

Another person has rejected their former statement in the IBB case. Advertiser Öztürk said, “My statements have been distorted; while I do not reject all of them, I do not accept these statements, I signed them without reading just to be able to leave that room.”

The 47th hearing of the IBB trial, in which 414 individuals, including Ekrem Imamoğlu, are being prosecuted, has been held. Media Inc. General Manager Türker stated in her defence that she was threatened with her children in exchange for changing her statement.

The public’s demand for change threatens not only the government but all statuses quo. The resistance against the regime has converged with the desire for change. The government and the proponents of absolute nullity are aware that they will lose if they cannot pull politics back to Ankara.