Expression Interrupted

Journalists and academics bear the brunt of the massive crackdown on freedom of expression in Turkey. Scores of them are currently subject to criminal investigations or behind bars. This website is dedicated to tracking the legal process against them.

Journalists in State of Emergency -- 21

Journalists in State of Emergency -- 21

On Oct. 6, Evrensel reporter Cemil Uğur, who was previously taken into custody and released, was put under arrest on charges of membership in a terrorist organization and making propaganda on behalf of a terrorist organization.

He and another Evrensel reporter, Halil İbrahim Polat were detained on Aug. 23 and held in police custody for 16 days before they were released.

Uğur was arrested after a prosecutor filed an objection to his release.

October 6 was the 79th of Turkey’s post-coup State of Emergency rule. Uğur’s arrest brings the number of imprisoned journalists in Turkey to 126. This figure does not include journalists who are in police custody waiting to be arraigned.

Uğur’s arrest comes shortly after 13 television networks and 11 radio stations were shut down by the government following prime ministry orders from Sept. 29 and 30 for their closure. A Kurdish-language television for children was among the networks ordered closed. The decrees were followed by raids on the targeted stations.

On Oct. 4, Hayatın Sesi, TV 10, İMC TV and Özgür Radyo officers were raided by police and the stations were sealed shut.

The raids come after a Prime Ministry decree that ordered 13 television stations and 11 radio stations closed under a Cabinet Decree which was issued in July under State of Emergency regulations put in place following the July 15 coup attempt.

Seventeen people were detained during the police raid on Özgür Radyo. The detainees, which included Özgür Radyo employees, journalists from other news agencies and one Özgür Radyo listener, were let go after a police interrogation.

Social media posts alleged police used violence during the raids. Footage released by Etkin Haber Ajansı (ETHA) on YouTube showed a police officer dragging a person the agency says is an Özgür Radyo journalist by her hair against the concrete ground.

Those who were detained during the Özgür Radyo operation included Zeynep Derya Yıldız, Ali Sönmez Kayar, Sinan Gerçek, Ardanuş Ateş, Arzu Demir, Sedat Şenoğlu, Deniz Bakır (Atılım Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Yönetmeni), Önder Öner, (ETHA news agency manager), Öykü Dilara Keskin (JİNHA news agency reporter), Ahmet Ayva, Ekin Saygılı, Pınar Türk and Can Karabulut.

Another police raid was conducted at the central office of İMC TV on Oct. 4. The station was shut down as it broadcast the operation live on air. İMC TV continued to broadcast developments on Periscope after the raid.

Also on Oct. 4, police raided the offices  of TV10 and Hayatın Sesi TV, which were  among the stations ordered shut down by the Turkish government.

In the evening of Oct. 4, hundreds gathered outside Galatasaray Square to protest against the closure of TV stations. Journalists from İMC, Hayatın Sesi and TV10 announced that they will not quit journalism.

On Sept. 29, a government decree ordered the closure of 12 stations: Hayat’ın Sesi TV, Özgür Gün TV, Van TV, Van Genç TV, TV 10, Jiyan TV, Azadi TV, Zarok TV, Denge TV, Mezopotamya TV, Med Nuçe TV and Birlik Medya TV. An order to shut down a 13th station, İMC TV, came the next day on Sept. 30.

According to data from the Turkish Journalists Association (TGC), 2500 journalists and media organization employees have lost their jobs since the July 15 coup attempt because their organizaitons were shut down under State of Emergency decrees.

Journalists arrested under State of Emergency as part of coup investigation

Abdullah Kılıç, Meydan columnist

Abdullah Özyurt, Zaman Newspaper reporter

Ahmet Altan

Ahmet Memiş, Journalist, Haberdar newssite

Ahmet Metin Sekizkardeş, Zaman newspaper

Ahmet Turan Alkan, Zaman columnist

Ahmet Yavaş, TRT (Erzurum)

Alaattin Güner,  Cihan News Agency media director

Alaattin Kaya, Formerly owned rights to Zaman

Ali Akkuş,  Zaman, general publications editor

Ali Bulaç,  Zaman Newspaper columnist

Ali Ünal, Zaman  columnist

Atilla Taş, Meydan Newspaper columnist

Ayşe Nazlı Ilıcak, Yarına Bakış

Ayşenur Parıldak, Zaman

Aytekin Gezici, Journalist

Aziz İstegün, Diyarbakır Zaman regional representative

Bayram Kaya, Zaman reporter

Bünyamin Köseli, Aksiyon Magazine reporter

Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Journalists and Writers Foundation

Cihan Acar, Bugün reporter

Cihat Ünal, Antalya Zaman reporter

Cuma Kaya, Zaman Newspaper

Cuma Ulus, Millet Newspaper publications coordinator

Cumali Önal, Zaman, in charge of Arabic editions

Eda Şanlı, owner of local Antalya newspaper and columnist for Bizim Antalya

Emre Soncan,  Zaman defense reporter

Ercan Gün, Fox TV News editor

Erdal Şen,  Meydan newspaper managing editor

Faruk Akkan, Cihan News Agency journalist

Fevzi Yazıcı, Zaman Newspaper

Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Türksolu columnist

Gültekin Avcı

Habip Güler,  Zaman reporter

Hakan Taşdelen

Halil İbrahim Mert, TRT (Erzurum)

Hanım Büşra Erdal,  Zaman reporter  and columnist

Haşim Söylemez,  Aksiyon Magainze columnist

Hüseyin Aydın, Cihan reporter

Hüseyin Turan, Zaman columnist

İbrahim Balta,  Zaman business news editor

ibrahim Kareyeğen,  Zaman managing editor

İsa Siyi, Haberdar news site

Kenan Baş, Antalya Zaman reporter

Lalezar Sarıibrahimoğlu (Lale Kemal), Zaman columnistt

Lokman Erdoğan, Çorum Manşet (Antalya) owner and columnist

Mehmet Altan

Mehmet Kuru, Zaman Eskişehir reporter

Mehmet Özdemir, Zaman

Murat Aksoy, Yeni Şafak columnist

Murat Avcıoğlu, Zaman

Murat Öztürk, Çorum Manşet (Antalya) managing editor

Mustafa Erkan Acar, Bugün  news manager

Mustafa Ünal,  Ankara Burea Chief of Zaman

Mutlu Çölgeçen, Millet newsroom coordinator

Mümtazer Türköne, Zaman columnist

Nuri Durna, TRT

Nuriye Ural (Akman), Zaman columnist

Nurullah Kaya, G.antep Zaman regional representative

Olgun Matur, Antalya journalist

Osman Yakut, Zaman Antalya

Özkan Mayda, Antalya Zaman reporter

Ramazan Alkan, Yeni Akit reporter

Resul Cengiz, Eski Zaman Denizli reporter

Seyid Kılıç, TRT Haber

Şahin Alpay, Zaman columnist

Şeref Yılmaz, Irmak TV

Tuncer Çetinkaya, Zaman Antalya regional representative

Ufuk Şanlı,  columnist for Vatan newspaper

Vahit Yazgan, İzmir Zaman regional representative

Vedat Demir,  Yarına Bakış Columnist

Yakup Çetin,  Zaman Reporter

Yakup Şimşek,   Zaman marketing manager

Yalçın Güler, TRT (Erzurum)

Yener Dönmez, Habervaktim newssite

Zafer Özsoy

JJournalists taken into custody as part of coup probe under State of Emergency

Abdullah Alparslan Akkuş, former NTV news editor, Released after being questioned by prosecutor

Arda Akın, Hürriyet reporter, released by court after objection to arrest ruling

Ayhan Şimşek, Released on probation

Bülent Mumay, former Hürriyet digital publicaitons coordinator, released after court arraignment

Dinçer Gökçe, Hürriyet internet editor, Released on probation

Hakan Bülent Yardımcı, Released on probation

Hilmi Yavuz, Zaman columnist, released due to poor health, secheduled to testify later in the investigation

İhsan Duran Dağı, Zaman columnist, Released after being questioned by prosecutor

İskender Yunus Tiryaki,Bugün reporter , Released on probation

Levent Arap, Postmedya.com site executive, Released on probation

Mehmet Gündem, former Milliyet columnist, released after arraignment

Nurullah Öztürk,former Yeni Şafak general coordinator and Zaman columnist, Released after being questioned by prosecutor

Osman Nuri Arslan, FİA finance company partner, Released on probation

Osman Nuri Öztürk, Released on probation

Ömer Şahin ,Meydan newspaper’s former Ankara bureau chief, Released after being questioned by prosecutor

Rasih Yılmaz,Samanyoluhaber columnist, Released after being questioned by prosecutor

Rıfat Söylemez, Adana Haber, Released after arraignment

Taner Talaş, Adana Yerel, Released under electronic monitoring

Yakup Sağlam, Samanyolu reporter, Released on probation

Yüksel Evsen, Adana journalist, Released on probation

Zeki Önal, Not detained due to advanced age and poor health

Journalists taken into custody as part of coup probe

Abdullah Katırcıoğlu, Legal status after detention unknown

Bertan Golali, TRT İstanbul, Legal status after detention unknown

Emre Koçali, Haberdar, Legal status after detention unknown

Erkan Büyük, Haberdar, Legal status after detention unknown

Özcan Keser, TRT İstanbul, Legal status after detention unknown

Journalists being sought in coup probe by judiciary

Asım Yıldırım, STV anchor

Ayşe Özkalay, Yeni Hayat columnist

Behçet Akyar

Bilal Şahin, Özgür Düşünce

Bülent Ceyhan, Özgür Düşünce

Bülent Keneş, Former Today's Zaman editor-in-chief

Bülent Korucu, Zaman columnist

Can Bahadır Yüce, i Zaman columnist

Celil Sağır,Today's Zaman managing editor

Cevheri Güven, Nokta Magazine editor-in-chief

Ergun Babahan

Erhan Başyurt, Bugün editor-in-chief

Erkan Akkuş, BUGÜN TV

Ertuğrul Erbaş, Former Nokta editor

Eyüp Can Sağlık, former Radikal editor-in-chief

Faruk Arslan, Zaman columnist

Faruk Kardıç

Fatih Akalan, Samanyolu Haber TV commentator

Fatih Yağmur, former Radikal reporter

Hamit Bilici, Zaman Editor-in-Chief

Hamit Çiçek

Hasan Cücük, Zaman reporter

Hüseyin Döğme

İbrahim Öztürk, Zaman columnist

İhsan Yılmaz, Today's Zaman columnist

Kamil Maman, Bugün reporter

Kemal Gülen, STV anchor

Kerim Balcı, Turkish Review editor-in-chief

Kerim Gün, Zaman editor

Levent Kenez, Meydan editor-in-chief

Mahmut Akpınar, Millet columnist

Mahmut Hazar, Cihan News Agency

Mehmet Akif Afşar

Mehmet Kamış, Zaman columnist

Melih Kılıç, Zaman Media Group Sales Department employee

Metin Tamer Gökçeoğlu

Metin Yıkar, Samanyolu Haber

Muhammed Fatih Uğur, Zaman news editor

Mürsel Genç, Cihan reporter

Nevzat Güner

Oktay Vızvız

Osman Özsoy, Rota Haber columnist, academic

Ömer Karakaş

Önder Deligöz, former Yeni Şafak reporter

Sait Sefa, Haberdar

Savaş Genç, former TRT reporter and academic

Sedat Yetişkin

Selahattin Sevi, Zaman photography editor

Selçuk Gültaşlı, Zaman Brussels representative

Sevgi Akarçeşme, Today’s Zaman editor-in-chief

Süleyman Sargın

Şemsettin Efe

Şenol Kahraman

Turan Görüryılmaz, Can Erzincan TV anchor

Turhan Bozkurt, Zaman columnist

Ufuk Emin Köroğlu, Karşı Gazete reporter

Veysel Ayhan

Yavuz Baydar, Haberdar.com columnist

Yonca Kaya Şahin, Rotahaber online news site columnist

Journalists detained under State of Emergency outside coup probe

Selami Aslan – DİHA, Released

Selman Keleş – DİHA, Under arrest

İdris Yılmaz – DİHA, Under arrest

Mehmet Sıddık Damar – DİHA, Released

Esra Aydın – JİNHA, Released

Geylan Arslan – JİNHA, Released

Nizamettin Yılmaz – Azadiya Welat, Under arrest

İdris Yılmaz – DİHA, Under arrest

Haydar Ergül – Demokratik Modernite, Under arrest

Hasan Akbaş – Evrensel, Released

Fırat Topal – Evrensel, Released

Serpil Berk – Evrensel, Released

Sertaç Kayar – Serbest Gazeteci, Released

Engin Eren – DİHA, Released on probation

Fatma Edemen – ETHA, Released

Davut Uçar– Özgür Gündem, Released

Doğan Güzel– Özgür Gündem, Released

Ersin Çaksu – Özgür Gündem, Released

Günay Aksoy – Özgür Gündem, Released

Kemal Bozkurt – Özgür Gündem, Released

Reyhan Hacıoğlu – Özgür Gündem, Released

Önder Elaldı – Özgür Gündem, Released

Ender Önder – Özgür Gündem, Released

Sinan Balık – Özgür Gündem, Released

Fırat Yeşilçınar – Özgür Gündem, Released

Özgür Paksoy – DİHA reporter, Released

Zeki Erden – Özgür Gündem, Released

Elif Aydoğmuş – Özgür Gündem, Released

Ersin Çaksu – Özgür Gündem, Released

Mesut Kaynar – DİHA, Released

Sevdiye Gürbüz – Özgür Gündem, Released

Amine Demirkıran – Özgür Gündem, Released

Bayram Balcı – Özgür Gündem, Released

Burcu Özkaya – Özgür Gündem, Released

Yılmaz Bozkurt –Press Office of Chamber of Medicine, Released

Gülfem Karataş – İMC TV, Released

Gökhan Çetin – İMC TV, Released

Hüseyin Gündüz – Doğu Yayınevi , Released

Halil Polat – Freelancer, Under arrest

Sabahattin Koyuncu – DİHA, Under arrest

Cemil Uğur – Evrensel, Under arrest

Yasemin Sayın– Azadiya Welat, Under arrest

Hayat Yılmaz– Azadiya Welat, Under arrest

Ahmet Kızılaya– Azadiya Welat, Released

Arap Turan– Azadiya Welat,Under arrest

Berxwedan Tulpar– Azadiya Welat, Released

Sürreya Dal– Azadiya Welat, Released

Zeynep İzgi– Azadiya Welat, Released on probation

İbrahim Bayram– Azadiya Welat, Released on probation

Engin Özelçi– Azadiya Welat, Released on probation

Ahmet Boltan– Azadiya Welat, Released

Ceylan İpek– Azadiya Welat, Released

Mehmet Emin Kaya– Azadiya Welat, Released

Ziyan Karahan– Azadiya Welat, Released

Veysi Altın– Azadiya Welat, Released

Ercan Yeltaş– Azadiya Welat, Released

Azime Tarhan– Azadiya Welat, Released

Serdal Polat– Azadiya Welat, Released on probation

Cengiz Aslan– Azadiya Welat, Released

Ferit Toprak– Azadiya Welat, Under arrest

Mehmet Hüseyin Şahin– Azadiya Welat, Released

Mehmet Aydın– Azadiya Welat, Released

Pusat Bulut– Azadiya Welat, Released on probation

Mehmet Emin Akgün – Azadiya Welat, Released

Mecrum Tokal, Azadiya Welat (Released to be detained again on the same day), In custody

Mehmet Ali Ertaş – DİHA, In custody

Journalists known to have been arrested during State of Emergency outside coup probe

Zeynel Abidin Bulut – Azadiya Welat

Zehra Doğan – JİNHA

Hülya Karakaya – Özgür Halk

Mehmet Arslan – DİHA

Şermin Soydan – DİHA

Lindsey Snell – Freelancer

Aslı Erdoğan – Özgür Gündem

Metin Bekiroğlu – DİHA

İnan Kızılkaya – Özgür Gündem

Zana (Bilir) Kaya – Özgür Gündem

Erdem Muhirci – DİHA

Ali Aşikar – Azadiya Welat

Necmiye Alpay – Özgür Gündem

Sabahattin Koyuncu - DİHA

Arap Turan - Azadiya Welat

Ferit Toprak - Azadiya Welat

Rabia Özkaya - Özgür Halk

Şirin Çoban – Azadiya Welat

İlker İlkan – Azadiya Welat

Cemil Uğur - Evrensel

List of journalists arrested before State of Emergency

Abdulkadir Turay, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter
Ali Konar, Azadiya Welat representative
Arafat Dayan, Demokratik Ulus former managing editor
Cebrail Parıltı, Anadolu Ajansı (AA) Derik reporter
Emin Demir, Freelancer
Erdal Süsem, Eylül Magazine Editor
Erol Zavar, Odak magazine’s owner
Ferhat Çiftçi, Azadiya Welat Gaziantep representative
Gurbet Çakar, Hevi women’s magazine
Hamit Dilbahar, Azadiya Welat columnist
Hatice Duman, owner of Atılım newspaper
Hidayet Karaca, President of Samanyolu Media
Kamuran Sunbat, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA)
Kenan Karavil, Radyo Dünya Editor-in-chief
Mazlum Dolan, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter
Mehmet Baransu, Taraf columnist
Mikail Barut, Özgür Halk Magazine former Editor
Miktat Algül, Mezitli FM, General broadcast coordinator
Muhammed Doğru, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter
Mustafa Gök, Ekmek ve Adalet Magazine Ankara representative
Nedim Türfent, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter
Nuri Yeşil, Azadiya Welat Dersim Temsilcisi
Özgür Amed (Ethem Çağır), Özgür Gündem columnist
Sami Tunca, Mücadele Birliği Magazine news editor
Serkan Aydemir, Bitlis Aktüel reporter
Seyithan Akyüz, Azadiya Welat Adana
Şahabettin Demir, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter
Şerife Oruç, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter
Şermin Soydan, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter
Yılmaz Kahraman, Özgür Halk Magazine Editor
Ziya Ataman, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) Intern

List of media outlets shut down under State of Emergency decrees

TV Stations: Barış TV, Bugün TV, Can Erzincan TV, Dünya TV, Hira TV, Irmak TV, Kanal 124, Kanaltürk, MC TV, Mehtap TV, Merkür TV, Samanyolu Haber, Samanyolu TV, SRT TV, Tuna Shopping TV, Yumurcak TV, İMC TV, Hayat TV, Özgür Gün TV, Van TV, Van Genç TV, TV 10, Jiyan TV, Azadi TV, Zarok TV, Denge TV, Mezopotamya TV and Birlik Medya TV.

News Agencies: Cihan Haber Ajansı, Muhabir Haber Ajansı and SEM Haber Ajansı

Newspapers: Adana Haber, Adana Medya, Akdeniz Türk, Şuhut’un Sesi, Kurtuluş, Lider, İscehisar, Durum, Türkeli, Antalya, Yerel Bakış, Nazar, Batman, Batman Postası, Batman Doğuş, Bingöl Olay, İrade, İskenderun Olay, Ekonomi, Ege’de Son Söz, Demokrat Gebze, Kocaeli Manşet, Bizim Kocaeli, Haber Kütahya, Gediz, Zafer, Hisar, Turgutlu Havadis, Milas Feza, Türkiye’de Yeni Yıldız, Hakikat, Urfa Haber Ajansı, Ajans 11, Yeni Emek, Banaz Postası, Son Nokta, Merkür Haber, Millet, Bugün, Meydan, Özgür Düşünce, Taraf, Yarına Bakış, Yeni Hayat, Zaman, Today’s Zaman, Özgür Gündem.

Magazines: Akademik Araştırmalar, Aksiyon, Asya Pasifik, Bisiklet Çocuk, Diyalog, Avrasya, Ekolife, Ekoloji, Fountain, Gonca, Gül Yaprağı, Nokta, Sızıntı, Yağmur, Yeni Ümit, Zirve.

Radio stations: Aksaray Mavi, Aktüel, Berfin, Burç, Cihan, Dünya, Esra, Haber Radyo Ege, Herkül, Jest, Kanaltürk, Radyo 59, Radyo Aile Rehberi, Radyo Bamteli, Radyo Cihan, Radyo Fıkıh, Radyo Küre, Radyo Mehtap, Radyo Nur, Radyo Şemşik, Samanyolu Haber, Umut, Yağmur, Rengin Radyo, Özgür Radyo, Ses Radyo, Radyo Karacadağ, Özgür Güneş, Yön Radyo, Patnos FM and Dünya Radyo.

Publishing houses: Altınburç, Burak Basın Yayın Dağıtım, Define, Dolunay Eğitim Yayın Dağıtım, Giresun Basın Yayın Dağıtım, Gonca, Gülyurdu, GYV, Işık Akademi, Işık Özel Eğitim, İklim Basın Yayın Pazarlama, Kaydırak, Kaynak, Kervan Basın Yayıncılık, Kuşak, Muştu, Nil, Rehber, Sürat Basım Yayın Reklamcılık Eğitim Araçları, Sütun, Şahdamar, Ufuk Basın Yayın Haber Ajans Pazarlama, Ufuk, Waşanxaneya Nil, Yay Basın Dağıtım, Yeni Akademi, Yitik Hazine, Zambak Basın Yayın Eğitim Turizm.

*Glossary of legal terms used in this text

Detain / Place in custody: To hold in police custody for police interrogation first, and later for testimony to a prosecutor. Might lead to a court appearance depending on the action taken by the prosecutor. 

Arrest: To put into prison indefinitely – by court order – pending trial. 

Released on probation: Released with an international flight ban issued. Usually entails checking in regularly with a designated police station. 

These lists have been compiled by P24 editors from open news sources and will be updated regularly. Journalists who want to report developments about themselves or their colleagues can contact us at punto24info@gmail.com
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