Sunday raid on BirGün, Diken and DİHABER journalists: You are an Armenian b*stard. Come on, write a report now

BirGün newspaper’s Administrative Affairs Supervisor Mahir Kanaat, editor of the Diken website Tunca Öğreten and Dihaber editor Ömer Çelik and reporter Metin Yoksu have been arrested. Dihaber reporter Metin Yoksu and Diyarbakır office supervisor Ömer Çelik were arrested in coordinated raids.

According to a report at Sendika.org, with Tunca Öğreten’s home being raided at around three in the morning, the police conducted a search for three hours and stated that they had arrested the journalist for “membership of a terrorist organisation.” It is said that Öğreten will be denied the opportunity of speaking with his lawyer for five days.

Police officer to Çelik's mother: Why did you make your son a journalist?

A raid was staged by special operations police at around four in the morning on journalist Ömer Çelik's home in Diyarbakır’s Kayapınar Sub-Province. According to a report by Dihaber, as soon as the family had opened the door, Çelik's mother and wife were made to lie on the floor. They reportedly took Ömer Çelik, on the other hand, first to the living room and then to the balcony of the flat and he was exposed to beatings, verbal abuse and swearing for half an hour. The police repeatedly said, interspersed with swearing, as they were beating Çelik, ‘You report the news, huh! Come on, write a report now. You are an Armenian b*stard. Come on, write a report now.’ At one point the police took Çelik into the bathroom and beat him here in the presence of his wife and mother.

One police officer also pointed a gun at Çelik's mother and abused her saying, ‘Why did you make your son a journalist? Why did you permit it?’ The police handcuffed Çelik and took him to the sub-province police headquarters. The police left the flat having confiscated everyone’s mobile phones, books and flash memories. It has been learned that a confidentiality order has been imposed on the case.