PRESS freedom came under renewed attack in Turkey today with the latest arrest of a reporter from the Mesopotamia News Agency (MA), in a “revenge operation” for exposing state crimes against the Kurdish people.

Hasan Yalcin, who is based in the bureau’s Ankara office was hauled into custody today — just one day after the jailing of Dindar Karatas, an MA journalist operating in Turkey’s south-eastern Van province.

The reasons for Mr Yalcin’s detention were unclear when the Star went to press, but police operations have intensified against MA since it exposed the crimes of the Turkish military in Van in September involving two Kurdish farmers.

Osman Siban and Servet Turgut were allegedly thrown from a helicopter, after being taken by Turkish soldiers.

Mr Turgut died from his injuries after 20 days in hospital with the state claiming the men fell from the mountain in a tragic accident.

But investigations of MA and Jin News reporters exposed a cover-up of the involvement of its armed forces. The Turkish state has resisted calls for an independent inquiry into the incident.

The four that exposed the story however — MA journalists Adnan Bilen and Cemil Ugur, Jin News reporter Seheriban Ali and journalist Nazan Sala — have been jailed on trumped-up terrorism charges.

State pressure intensified after the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) office in Van province was raided by police during the night.

Computers and books were seized and a chilling message was daubed on the whiteboard reading: “As-salamu alaykum — we are here.”

MA editor Gozde Cagri described the arrests as “a revenge operation” with the Van office especially targeted for breaking the story.

“We won’t be intimidated by their threats,” she said. “Everyone working for MA knows they can be targeted and they can be jailed, but work here anyway.

“The solidarity from the Morning Star and its readers is very precious for us. They are trying to silence us so please do all you can to expose the atrocities of the Turkish state across all platforms,” she added.

“Five journalists have been jailed because they told the world that Turkish soldiers threw two villagers from a military helicopter.

“Now you need to fill in for those five journalists and tell the world that Turkey is throwing Kurdish farmers from helicopters and calling them terrorists,” Ms Cagri said, explaining that Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu had branded the men “militants” in a statement on Thursday evening

Turkey is the biggest jailer of journalists with a third of the world’s total behind bars.