BDP leader supports arrested publisher

Co-chair of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Selahattin Demirtaş and BDP Istanbul deputy Sırrı Süreyya Önder together signed books at the book stand of the Belge publishing house, which was established by arrested publisher, writer and activist Ragıp Zarakolu.

“We are here today for Ragıp Zarakolu as well as all other arrested intellectuals and journalists. Zarakolu built this publishing house with a major effort. We condemn his arrest,” Demirtaş said at a press meeting at the TÜYAP Book Fair in Istanbul yesterday.

Both Demirtaş and Önder signed books for those who bought books from the Belge publishing house. Among the most sold were books on Kurdish history and Ahmet Şık’s book “000Kitap.” The manuscript for “000Kitap” was seized by the police before it was published in March. The book was released yesterday by some 125 journalists, activists and academics, who co-authored the book.

Stressing the arrests of journalists Ahmet Şık, Nedim Şener as well as academic Büşra Ersanlı and publisher Zarakolu, Demirtaş said the government was making a big mistake.

“Unfortunately we see that understanding of the law has failed in Turkey. The prime minister thinks what he is doing is democracy. But this is a major mistake,” Demirtaş said.

Publisher Ragıp Zarakolu, along with 43 others, was arrested on Nov. 1 in connection with the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) case