İZMİR - İzmir Bar Association made a statement regarding the targeting of singer Sezen Aksu and the arrest of journalist Sedef Kabaş, "We will insist on defending fundamental rights and freedoms against these reactionary attacks on art and freedom of the press."

 

İzmir Bar Association has released a written statement regarding the singer Sezen Aksu, who was targeted by President Erdoğan, and the journalist Sedef Kabaş, who was arrested on charges of "insulting the President". In the statement published with the headline "Actually, nothing was illegal, because there was no such thing as law anymore", it was emphasized that what happened in the last few days was a grave picture and unlawfulness. 

 

'THESE REACTIONS ARE A PRODUCT OF A TOTALITERIAN UNDERSTANDING'

 

In the statement that drew attention to some unlawful events that took place in the last week, the statement said: "By raiding houses in the middle of the night, giving instructions to the judiciary, using hate speech and targeting people with religious contexts, provoking lynch, threatening people with 'ripping their tongues out', using the judiciary to intimidate the citizens is a product of a totalitarian understanding and is illegal."

 

ART AND PRESS FREEDOM

 

In the statement, it was stated that freedom of expression is the foundation of a democratic society and the followings were expressed: "As in our country, all oppressive regimes do not want individuals to think and express their thoughts freely.The goverment, which dreams of a non-productive, unresponsive and obedient society, continues its efforts to intimidate the society through Sedef Kabaş and Sezen Aksu. There may be no limits to the hate language of the government and its ignorance of the law, but we choose to take sides with the law. We will insist on defending fundamental rights and freedoms against these reactionary attacks on art and freedom of the press."