- Title: Turkey orders formal arrest of 9 Cumhuriyet newspaper staff -NTV
- Date: 5th November 2016
- Summary: ISTANBUL, TURKEY (NOVEMBER 5, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SUPPORTERS FROM OPPOSITION PARTIES AND UNIONS GATHERED OUTSIDE THE CUMHURIYET NEWSPAPER'S ISTANBUL OFFICE EXTERIORS OF THE BUILDING CROWD WAITING OUTSIDE SIGN OF THE CUMHURIYET NEWSPAPER WOMAN READING THE CUMHURIYET NEWSPAPER HEADLINE OF THE CUMHURIYET NEWSPAPER READING (Turkish): "YOU WILL BE LEFT ASHAMED BEFORE HISTORY" PEOPLE GATHERED OUTSIDE THE CUMHURIYET HEADQUARTERS VARIOUS OF A WATER CANNON PARKED OUTSIDE THE BUILDING MAIN OPPOSITION REPUBLICAN PEOPLE'S PARTY (CHP) LAWMAKER SEZGIN TANRIKULU ADDRESSING PROTESTERS HOLDING WHITE BALLOONS AND NEWSPAPERS READERS HOLDING THE CUMHURIYET NEWSPAPERS (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) CHP LAWMAKER, SEZGIN TANRIKULU, SAYING: "Journalism and people's right to be informed were put behind bars. This was done by the judiciary. When you look at the detailed ruling, the nine journalists were not accused of a specific crime other than doing their jobs. Headlines, daily columns and printed stories are cited as a reason (for their arrests). It is impossible to say this is a legal decision." PHOTOGRAPHER WORKING (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) CHP LAWMAKER, SEZGIN TANRIKULU, SAYING: "Here is the real reason. They are shutting down all of the opposition media outlets. The Cumhuriyet newspaper was a symbol in this sense. They did not obey (political authorities) and they were critical of government policies. So, through judiciary, the government has sent a strong message with this newspaper that has been printed since the beginning of the Turkish Republic and became the symbol of press history." VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS CHANTING SLOGANS (Turkish): "WE WILL NOT OBEY THE STATE", "WE WILL WIN BY RESISTING"
- Embargoed: 20th November 2016 10:48
- Keywords: Turkey security newspaper arrest Cumhuriyet
- Location: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- City: ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Civil Unrest
- Reuters ID: LVA0015762K3R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Turkish authorities ordered the formal arrest pending trial on Saturday (November 5) of nine executives and journalists of a leading opposition newspaper who were detained on Monday, broadcaster NTV said.
The detention of the editor-in-chief and senior staff of Cumhuriyet over the secularist newspaper's alleged support for a failed coup in July was described by a top EU politician as the crossing of a red line against freedom of expression. Their homes were also searched.
Istanbul prosecutors have said staff at the paper, one of few media outlets still critical of President Tayyip Erdogan, are suspected of committing crimes on behalf of Kurdish militants and the network of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen. Turkey accuses Gulen of orchestrating the coup attempt, though he denies any involvement.
Cumhuriyet's previous editor, Can Dundar, was jailed last year for publishing state secrets involving Turkey's support for Syrian rebels. The case sparked censure from rights groups and Western governments worried about worsening human rights in Turkey under Erdogan.
Turkey's crackdown since rogue soldiers tried to seize power on July 15 has alarmed Western allies and rights groups, who fear Erdogan is using the coup attempt to crush dissent. More than 110,000 people have been sacked or suspended and 37,000 arrested over the past 3-1/2 months.
Additionally, 170 newspapers, magazines, television stations and news agencies have been shut down, leaving 2,500 journalists unemployed, Turkey's journalists' association said in a statement protesting Monday's detentions.
Opposition groups say the purges are being used to silence all dissent in Turkey, a NATO member which aspires to membership of the European Union.
On Saturday Turkish authorities detained nine more officials from the country's main pro-Kurdish opposition party, a party official said, a day after the party's leaders were formally arrested.
The nine officials included the provincial and district heads of the pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in the southeastern province of Adana, the official said.
HDP co-leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag were arrested on Friday (November 4) as part of a terrorism investigation, prompting strong international condemnation of a widening crackdown on dissent under President Tayyip Erdogan. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None