Operation to Özgürlükçü Demokrasi Newspaper

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The central office of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper in the district of Beyoğlu in İstanbul and the printing house where its newspapers are printed were raided by the police at midnight (March 28).

Mesopotamia Agency has reported that after a search was conducted at the the central office of the newspaper until 3 a.m., the attorneys of the newspaper who went to the central office early in the morning encountered the officials from the Saving Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF).

Aykol: A trustee has been appointed

Speaking to bianet, Hüseyin Aykol, who writes in Özgürlükçü Demokrasi, has told that the newspaper has been transferred to the Saving Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) and a trustee has been appointed.

Within the scope of the investigation, the house of Yılmaz Yıldız, the Executive Editor of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi, was also raided by the police. During the raid, Yıldız was not at his house in district of Bağcılar, Istanbul and the police confiscated his telephone and computer.

As of 4 p.m. today (March 28), the names of the ones taken into custody are as follows:

Grant Holder of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper İhsan Yaşar; Owner of Gün Printing House Kasım Zengin; the workers of the printing house Erdoğan Zamur, Kemal Kurt, Musa Kaya, Cemal Tunç, Kemal Daşdöğen, İrfan Karaca and Mehmet Emin Sumeli; the former workers of the printing house Olcay Sarıkaya and Uğur Selman Kelekçiler, who was detained in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

In the raids conducted at around 00.30 a.m., special operation forces searched the buildings.

* As of March 29, it has been reported that it is not certain whether Kemal Kurt is in custody or not.

TMSF is not informed about the "TMSF observer" in suit

Evrensel newspaper has reported that the door of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper was broken by the police. Behind the locked door of the newspaper stood someone in suit who said that he was an official from Saving Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF). According to Evrensel, the person in question stated that he did not have the authority to present a document or give information as to his affiliation with TMSF:

"Since I have not been granted such an authority, I cannot present a document. I am waiting for the real officials from the TMSF. I am here as an observer. I do not know when they will arrive, they will be here during the day, but I am not informed about the exact hour."

Evrensel has also reported that they have not received any confirmation from the officials of TMSF regarding the affiliation of the person at Özgürlükçü Demokrasi central office with the TMSF. Speaking to Evrensel about the issue, the TMSF official has said that they have not received such information and the person at Özgürlükçü Demokrasi building is required to present his TMSF identification card.

Two different investigations about the newspaper

According to Mesopotamia Agency, the Prosecutor's Office has informed the attorneys that there have been two investigations about the newspaper. The first investigation was launched on February 7, which was then joined with the file of another investigation launched by İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Terror and Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau on March 23. It has been alleged that the first investigation is within the scope of "press crimes" while the one dated March 23, 2018 is within the scope of "terror crimes". Stating that there is a confidentiality order for the investigation, the Prosecutor's Office has refused to answer any further questions, including the ones about the "TMSF official."

About Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper

After Özgür Gündem newspaper was closed on August 16, 2016, Özgürlükçü Gündem newspaper started to be published on August 23, 2016. Published by Nesrin Media, Publishing and Distribution, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi reported the arrests of Özgür Gündem's Executive Editor Zana Kaya and its Editor-in-Chief İnan Kızılkaya in the subheading of its first issue. (EA/SD)

Updates to follow.