- Title: Turkish writer released after charges of spreading militant propaganda
- Date: 29th December 2016
- Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (DECEMBER 29, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ISTANBUL COURT HOUSE EXTERIOR LIGHTS FLASHING ON POLICE CAR IN FRONT OF COURTHOUSE SUPPORTERS OF TURKISH WRITER ASLI ERDOGAN HOLDING SIGN, TURKISH MAIN OPPOSITION CHP LAWMAKER, SEZGIN TANRIKULU SPEAKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH MAIN OPPOSITION CHP LAWMAKER, SEZGIN TANRIKULU, SAYING: "They were released from their prison to another prison: Turkey is like a prison now. Turkey has become a prison for thinkers and writers, however their release gives hope. I hope, in 2017, other journalist, friends and Ahmet Sik who was detained today will be released.' VARIOUS OF ASLI ERDOGAN SUPPORTERS APPLAUDING
- Embargoed: 13th January 2017 15:58
- Keywords: Turkey trial journalists writer PKK Asli Erdogan Necmiye Alpay
- Location: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- City: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions
- Reuters ID: LVA0015EXSQX3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Prize-winning Turkish novelist Asli Erdogan and linguist Necmiye Alpay were released from court on Thursday (December 29) after being charged with spreading militant propaganda.
They were released along with seven other members of staff from a pro-Kurdish newspaper that was closed by the authorities.
Alpay and Erdogan, who is not related to the Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan, have been in jail awaiting trial since August. They both pleaded not guilty.
Asli Erdogan is a member of the advisory board for the Ozgur Gundem newspaper, which was closed by court order on Tuesday (December 27) on the grounds of spreading propaganda of the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is deemed a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
Turkish main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker, Sezgin Tanrikulu said that Erdogan and Alpay have been released from one prison into another.
"Turkey has become a prison for thinkers and writers, however their release gives hope. I hope in 2017 other journalist, friends and Ahmet Sik who was detained today will be released.'
The prominent Turkish journalist Ahmet Sik said on Thursday he was being detained by authorities over a Twitter statement he made.
State-run Anadolu news agency said Sik was accused of terrorist propaganda and insulting the state, its judiciary, military and police through several Twitter posts and his work on the Cumhuriyet daily, one of the few newspapers still critical of the government.
The more than half a dozen tweets mentioned by Anadolu that were part of the investigation were largely about the state's fight against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants, while one was about this month's killing of the Russian ambassador in Ankara.
At least 81 journalists are imprisoned in Turkey, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, with more than 130 media outlets shut since a failed coup attempt in July. Journalists and writers are largely facing charges of terrorist propaganda. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
