12 Journalists Including Mümtazer Türkone Arrested

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The 12 journalists including Mümtazer Türköne, columnist of the Gülen-linked former Zaman daily detained within the operations carried out against the Fethullah Gülen community following the coup attempt on July 15 have been arrested.

Detention order had been issued concerning the 47 journalists working employed in the closed Zaman daily within the investigation into the former employees of the closed Zaman daily.

12 of the 14 journalists referred to the İstanbul 3rd Criminal Court on duty demanding arrest within the investigation is being carried out by İstanbul Chief Prosecution.  

The court on duty has ruled to arrest Alaattin Güner, Şeref Yılmaz, Ahmet Metin Sekizkardeş, Faruk Akkan, Mehmet Özdemir, Fevzi Yazıcı, Zafer Özsoy, Cuma Kaya and Hakan Taşdelen on charges of “being a member of an armed terrorist organization” and Mümtazer Türköne; columnist of the closed Zaman Daily on charges of “serving the purposes of FETÖ (Fethullahist Terrorist Organization” and Hüseyin Turan and Murat Avcıoğlu on charges of “aiding a [terrorist] organization as non-member”.

Taking into account, that there were not enough evidence requiring arrests of Osman Nuri Öztürk and Osman Nuri Arslan on charges of “being a member of a [terrorist] organization” the court has ruled to release the two providing that legal control measures would be taken such as “a ban on leaving the country”.  

According to the Media Monitoring Report of bianet, including the last arrests, there are 72 journalists in prison.   

What had happened?

Within the operations carried out against the Gülen community following the coup attempt on July 15, detention order had been issued previously for the 42 journalists later for 47 employees of the Gülen-linked former Zaman daily.

On July 25, 18 of the detained 42 journalists have been arrested.   

On July 30 at midnight, the court has ruled to arrest the other six journalists and columnists of former Zaman daily.

Previously on March 4, upon demand of İstanbul Chief Prosecution, İstanbul 6th Criminal Court of Peace had ruled to assign trustees to the Feza Journalism to which Zaman daily is also subordinated. (NV/DG)