10 days before the 14 May presidential and parliamentary elections, operations against political parties and journalists continue in Turkey. Seven people were arrested on Wednesday night, including Müslüm Koyun, the Green Left Party's Eskişehir parliamentary candidate.

Seven people who were detained in the operations against the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations (SGDF) and the Etkin News Agency (ETHA) on 30 April within the scope of two separate investigations conducted by the Istanbul and Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecutors' Offices were arrested and put in prison. Among those arrested are Müslüm Koyun, an Eskişehir parliamentary candidate from the Greens and Left Party, the umbrella party of the Labour and Freedom Alliance, ESP Co-Chair Şahin Tümüklü and Nadiye Gürbüz from ETHA news agency. Seven other detainees were placed under house arrest, while nine others were released on judicial control. Izmir Parliamentary Candidate Arefe Meryem Yıldırım is also among those given house arrest.

PARTICIPATION IN DEMONSTRATIONS SUCH AS 8 MARCH AND MAY DAY WAS CRIMINALISED

It is learned that the detainees are accused of participating in and organising women's protests on 8 March and 25 November, 1 May rally and Pride March, making preparations for these protests and organising workshops. It is stated that ESP, a legal political party, is defined as a "terrorist organisation" in the interrogation. It is reported that ESP Co-Chair Şahin Tümüklü was asked questions such as "Why does ESP terrorist organisation support LW Waikiki workers?".

ESP Co-Chair Lawyer Özlem Gümüştaş stated that the operations were neither coincidental nor surprising and said: "Even if there were no elections, the main way of governing of the AKP MHP regime is to detain, ban and close down. From closing Twitter accounts to shutting down parties, from arresting politicians to arresting journalists... With the fear of losing the elections triggered by the legitimacy crisis, it clings to this method more strongly."

The Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) is a political party that is a component of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). Together with the HDP, the Labour Party (EMEP), the Workers' Party of Turkey (TİP), the Labour Movement Party (EHP), the Social Freedom Party (TÖP), the Greens and Left Future Party (Green Left Party) and the Federation of Socialist Assemblies (SMF), they form the Labour and Freedom Alliance. The Alliance had participated in the parliamentary elections on the lists of the Green Left Party and TİP, and had announced its support for Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu in the presidential elections.

OPERATIONS IN DİYARBAKIR AND ANKARA

In the past two weeks, two Diyarbakır and Ankara based operations were organised and many people, including 6 journalists, were arrested.

Among the 216 politicians, theatre actors, journalists and lawyers who were detained in the Diyarbakır-based investigation, the number of arrested people increased to 51, including Kurdish journalists Abdurrahman Gök, Beritan Canözer, Mehmet Şah Oruç and Remzi Akkaya. So far 91 people have been released.

Abdurrahman Gök, for whom an arrest warrant was issued, said as he was taken out of the courtroom, "Fascism will be defeated, don't worry, this fascist order will go away. Down with fascism, long live a free press."

5 people who were detained in an Ankara based investigation in 15 cities were arrested. Sedat Yılmaz, editor of Mesopotamia Agency (MA) and Dicle Müftüoğlu, co-chair of Dicle Fırat Journalists' Association (DFG) were arrested within the scope of this investigation and sent to prison. Sedat Yılmaz, for whom an arrest warrant was issued, made a statement in front of the court gate: "The harami order is ending after 10 days, it has been destroyed and will be destroyed".

According to the 3 May report of the Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS), 47 journalists are currently in prison in Turkey. (EVRENSEL DAILY)