Working Journalists Day marked with march, cycling in Istanbul

Journalists, lawmakers and representatives from several press unions and organizations marked Jan. 10, Working Journalists' Day, staging a march in central Istanbul, with dozens of others having cycled along some part of the Bosphorus shoreline.

Representatives from journalists' unions, lawmakers and leading profiles from press organizations gathered at Tünel Square in Istanbul's Beyo?lu district at 12 p.m. on Jan. 10 and staged a march in protest at the imprisonment of journalists in Turkey, noting the arrest of daily Cumhuriyet Editor-in-Chief Can Dündar and its Ankara bureau chief, Erdem Gül.

A group of journalists from the Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS) and D?SK Bas?n-??, the journalism branch of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (D?SK), as well as several deputies from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) took part in the event.

Participants said there was no cause for celebration of the day given the pressures journalists have been subjected to in recent times in Turkey.

"We are ... postponing our celebration of the day until all journalists walk in liberty and have the freedom to write as they please," TGS and D?SK Bas?n-?? said in a statement to mark the day.

In a separate event, dozens cycled from the Dolmabahçe neighborhood to the Bebek neighborhood, both located on the European shoreline of the Bosphorus, as part of a public activity organized by the district municipality of Be?ikta?.In Photos: Snow produces picturesque scenes across Turkey after days of stormsIn Photos: At least 27 refugees' bodies wash ashore on Turkey's Aegean coast In Photos: Greek Orthodox Christians dive into cold water to retrieve holy crossIn photos: Turkey commemorates Rumi with 'Night of Union'...