In the last 5 years, 13 Kurdish journalists have been massacred in the Federated Kurdistan Region and North and East Syria in Turkey's air strikes. Most recently, journalist Aziz Köylüoğlu was killed in a Turkish drone attack in Sulaymaniyah on 27 January. Journalists in the Federated Kurdistan Region face daily pressure, threats, obstructions, arrests and detentions by the KDP and work under difficult conditions. Botan Germiyanî, a journalist in the region, evaluated the attacks against journalists in the region.

 

Stating that the KDP implemented Turkey's policies towards journalists in the region, Germiyanî said, "In the 1990s, the KDP, which cooperated with Turkey, tortured and murdered dozens of journalists. These include Serdeşt Osman, Wedat Husên, Soran Miheme and many others. The bodies of many of our murdered journalist friends are still missing. KDP implemented the Turkish state's policy towards journalists. Its pressure, threats and censorship never ended. It tried to silence the Free Press. By murdering journalists in the region, they want to hide the truth from the public. The Turkish state and the KDP have launched a new attack against journalists in the South in recent years. Everyone knows why the Turkish government targets the free press in Southern Kurdistan. Turkey is targeting the free press in order to hide the attacks it has launched in the region. Who will be aware of what is happening if we do not write about it and visualise it? That is why they are aware of our power and our friends are deliberately identified and targeted."

 

Underlining that they will continue the legacy of truth left by Aziz Köylüoğlu, Germiyanî said, "Turkey should know this well; we will continue to write the truth. Our journalist friend Aziz Köylüoğlu may not be with us physically today, but the struggle for truth he left us will be with us. We will keep his spirit of struggle alive. We will continue the struggle he left us like the first day. Despite all attacks and attempts to silence us, we will continue the struggle we started. This journey and struggle for truth is never-ending."

 

'MASSACRES MUST BE STOPPED'

 

Reacting to the silence of the Iraqi and Federated Kurdistan Region governments against the attacks, Germiyanî added, "Especially since 1991, Turkey's attacks against Southern Kurdistan have increased and as a result over 700 civilians have lost their lives. Especially in the last two years, 66 civilians lost their lives and 41 civilians were injured. This year 56 civilians were killed and 4 houses were destroyed. In other words, the attacks are still continuing, but there is a great silence against this. Turkey is attacking within the framework of the treaty signed between Iraq and Turkey. If these attacks are not opposed at the international level, another civilian or journalist will be killed every day. The lives of journalists working here are in danger. Therefore, an international attitude must be developed against the massacre of journalists and the massacres must be stopped as soon as possible."