Kurdish journalist Kadri Bağdu, who was murdered eleven years ago, was commemorated in Adana. The employee of the Kurdish daily newspaper Azadiya Welat was shot dead on October 14, 2014, in the southern Turkish province of Adana while delivering newspapers on his bicycle by mercenaries of the terrorist militia “Islamic State” (IS). To date, the perpetrators have not been brought to justice.
Dozens of people gathered at Küçükoba Cemetery on Tuesday to remember Bağdu, including family members, media professionals, and figures from politics and civil society. The visit to the grave began with a minute’s silence for Bağdu and all other journalists who lost their lives while doing their job.
Selman Çiçek, co-chair of the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), criticized the fact that Bağdu’s murder has still not been solved. The impunity of such crimes creates scope for new attacks, said Çiçek, referring to the journalist Hakan Tosun, who was brutally attacked recently and died in Istanbul. “If the mystery behind Bağdu’s murder had been solved back then, Hakan Tosun might not be dead today,” Çiçek said. “The government remains silent about murders of journalists, protects the perpetrators, and hides them behind police files. But the truth cannot be hidden forever.”
“The truth will come to light”
Çiçek emphasized that the free press would not relent until those responsible for Bağdu’s death were named and convicted by the courts. “The truth will come to light sooner or later. We will not stop pursuing the real perpetrators.”
Şemse Bağdu, the wife of the murdered journalist, also spoke at the memorial service. She thanked everyone who has supported the family over the past years: “We will continue the struggle of our fallen comrades until our last breath. The struggle of Musa Anter and his companions is also our struggle.”
“Free press under attack”
Activist Suphiye Bayav from the Peace Mothers Assembly and local DEM Party politician Seyfettin Aydemir pointed out that journalists working for Kurdish media outlets are being systematically targeted: “The free press’s search for truth makes it a target of the state,” said Aydemir and stressed that Kadri Bağdu was also specifically targeted because he worked for a critical media outlet.
After reciting a prayer, the participants laid flowers on Bağdu’s grave.