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.
On July 29, 21 of the 48 journalists who have been arrested as part of the ongoing investigation into the July 15 coup attempt were taken to İstanbul’s Çağlayan Courthouse to testify before prosecutors.
During their questioning at the prosecutor’s office, the journalists were asked whether they “accept that FETÖ (Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organization) is a terrorist organization,” and if they are part of “the media arm of FETÖ.” The prosecutor also demanded explanations on Twitter posts shared by the journalists as well as their statements elsewhere, including those in their newspaper columns, tv shows and the books they authored.
Prosecutor asks court not to arrest Mumay
According to a news report by the Evrensel daily, journalist Bülent Mumay, who was formerly the coordinator in charge of Hürriyet’s digital publications, was asked specific questions about his tweets from the night of July 15 and whether he works for the media arm of the Gülen Movement. Mumay was referred to a court after his interrogation, with the prosecutor asking for his release under probation. The court on duty ruled to release Mumay unconditionally.
Three journalists for whom prosecutor demanded arrest released
The prosecutor's office referred the remaining 20 journalists to court demanding their arrest. Seventeen of these journalists were arrested after their appearance in court and sent to prison on charges of “membership in an armed terrorist organization.” Two others were released on probation.
Nazlı Ilıcak put under arrest
Nazlı Ilıcak, born 1944, who has been in journalism since 1972, was also arrested after her court appearance. Ilıcak was also asked the question whether she “works for FETÖ’s media arm.” During her testimony, Ilıcak protested her innocence regarding the charges directed at her and reportedly stated that “I understood that FETÖ is an armed terrorist organization on the night of the coup attempt.”
Journalists arrested on July 29
Nazlı Ilıcak, Seyit Kılıç, Bayram Kaya, Cihan Acar, Bünyamin Köseli, Emre Soncan, Mustafa Erkan Acar, Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Abdullah Kılıç, Habip Güler, Cuma Ulus, Hanım Büşra Erdal, Hüseyin Aydın, Haşim Söylemez, Ali Akkuş, Yakup Çetin and Ufuk Şanlı were put under arrest and sent to prison for “membership in an armed terrorist organization.”
A total of 56 journalists in prison
The arrests of 17 journalists on July 29 that come as part of the post-coup attempt probe bring the total number of journalists under arrest in Turkey to 56. Twenty-three of those in prison face charges regarding the post-coup attempt investigation.
Ercan Gün turns himself in
In another development, Fox TV News Manager Ercan Gün, for whom a detention warrant had been issued by the İstanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office as part of the coup probe, turned himself in, going to the İstanbul Çağlayan Courthouse. Gün was referred to the Police Department's Public Safety Branch by the prosecutor for a police interrogation.
Hilmi Yavuz released due to poor health
Some elderly journalists are among the detained, causing concern about their health status. Families of 72-year-old Şahin Alpay, formerly a columnist with the Zaman daily, and Hilmi Yavuz, a legendary poet who’s 80, expressed concern about the two men’s condition. Yavuz was released in the early evening on July 29 due to a sudden drop in his blood pressure levels during his police interrogation. His interrogation procedure could not be completed, and the accusations leveled against him remain in place, authorities have said.
Current legal status of journalists for whom detention warrants were formally announced
Abdullah Abdulkadiroğlu, Samanyolu TV
Abdullah Katırcıoğlu, In custody
Abdullah Kılıç, Meydan columnist, Under arrest
Adil Gülçek,
Ahmet Dönmez, Former Zaman reporter
Ahmet Memiş, Haberdar, In custody
Ahmet Metin Sekizkardeş, Cihan Media Vice President, In custody
Ahmet Turan Alkan, Former Zaman columnist, In custody
Alaattin Güner, Former Cihan Media Director
Ali Akbulut, Formerly, owner of Zaman's rights
Ali Akkuş, Former Zaman Publications Editor, Under arrest
Ali Bulaç , Former Zaman columnist, In custody
Ali Ünal, Former Zaman columnist
Arda Akın, Hürriyet reporter, Released on probation
Arzu Yıldız, Haberdar
Ayşe Nazlı Ilıcak, Yarına Bakış, Under arrest
Aytekin Gezici, In custody
Bayram Kaya, Zaman, Yeni Hayat reporter, Under arrest
Behçet Akyar,
Bilal Şahin, Özgür Düşünce
Bülent Ceyhan, Özgür Düşünce reporter
Bülent Keneş, Former Today's Zaman Editor-in-Chief
Bülent Korucu, Former Zaman columnist
Bülent Mumay, Former Hürriyet Digital Press Coordinator, Released by court
Bünyamin Köseli, Former Aksiyon reporter, Under arrest
Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Under arrest
Cevheri Güven, Nokta Editor-in-Chief
Cihan Acar, Former Bugün Reporter, Under arrest
Cuma Kaya, In custody
Cuma Ulus, Former Millet Publications Coordinator, Under arrest
Emre Koçali, Haberdar, In custody
Emre Soncan, Former Zaman Defense reporter, Under arrest
Ercan Gün, Fox TV News Editor, In custody
Erkan Akkuş, Former Bugün TV Anchor
Erkan Büyük, Haberdar, In custody
Ertuğrul Erbaş, Former Nokta Editor
Faruk Akkan, Cihan News Agency, In custody
Faruk Kardıç
Fatih Akalan, Samanyolu Haber TV
Fatih Yağmur, Former Radikal Reporter
Fevzi Yazıcı
Habip Güler, Former Zaman reporter, Under arrest
Hakan Bülent Yardımcı, In custody
Hakan Taşdelen,
Hamit Bilici, Former Zaman Editor-in-Chief
Hamit Çiçek,
Hanım Büşra Erdal, Former Zaman Columnist, Court Reporter, Under arrest
Haşim Söylemez, Former Akisyon News Weekly Columnist, Under arrest
Hilmi Yavuz, Former Zaman columnist, Released due to health reasons, will testify at a later time
Hüseyin Aydın, Cihan Reporter, Under arrest
Hüseyin Döğme,
Hüseyin Turan, Feza Media Group Partner, In custody
İbrahim Balta, Former Zaman Business Editor
İhsan Duran Dağı, Former Zaman Columnist
İsi Siyi, Haberdar, In custody
Kamil Maman, Former Bugün reporter
Kerim Gün, Former Zaman Editor
Lalezar Sarıibrahimoğlu (Lale Kemal), Former Zaman columnist
Levent Kenez, Meydan Editor-in-Chief
Lokman Erdoğan, Çorum Manşet, In custody
Mahmut Hazar, Cihan News Agency
Mehmet Akif Afşar
Mehmet Gündem, Former Milliyet Columnist, Released by court
Mehmet Kamış, Former Zaman Columnist
Mehmet Özdemir
Melih Kılıç, Zaman Media Group
Metin Tamer Gökçeoğlu,
Metin Yıkar, Samanyolu Haber
Muhammed Fatih Uğur, Former Zaman News Manager
Murat Avcıoğlu, In custody
Mustafa Erkan Acar, Cihan News Agency, Under arrest
Mustafa Ünal,
Mümtaz'er Türköne, Former Zaman columnist, In custody
Mürsel Genç, Former Cihan reporter
Nevzat Güner,
Nuriye Ural (Akman), Former Zaman columnist, In custody
Oktay Vızvız
Olgun Batur, Local Antalya journalist, In custody
Osman Nuri Arslan, Partner in FİA, a finance company, In custody
Osman Nuri Öztürk
Ömer Karakaş
Rıfat Söylemez, Adana Günaydın (Local), In custody
Sait Sefa, Haberdar
Sedat Yetişkin,
Selahattin Sevi, Former Zaman Photography Coordinator
Sevgi Akarçeşme, Former Today's Zaman Editor-in-Chief
Seyid Kılıç, Former TRT Reporter, Under arrest
Süleyman Sargın, Journalist
Şahin Alpay, Former Zaman columnist, In custody
Şenol Kahraman,
Şeref Yılmaz, Irmak TV, In custody
Taner Talaş, Local Adana journalist, In custody
Tuncer Çetinkaya, Zaman Antalya reporter, In custody
Turan Görüryılmaz, Can Erzincan TV Anchor
Ufuk Emin Köroğlu, Karşı reporter
Ufuk Şanlı, Former Vatan columnist
Veysel Ayhan,
Yakup Çetin, Former Zaman Reporter, Under arrest
Yakup Sağlam, Former Zaman Reporter, Released on probation
Yüksel Durgut
Yüksel Evsen, Local Adana journalist, In custody
Zafer Özsoy, In custody
Zeki Önal
Detentions that occurred under State of Emergency but outside the coup probe
Selami Aslan – DİHA
Mehmet Sıddık Damar – DİHA
Esra Aydın – JİNHA
Geylan Arslan – JİNHA
Journalists arrested under State of Emergency, outside the coup probe
Zeynel Abidin Bulut, Azadiya Welat
Zehra Doğan, JİNHA
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.
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.
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.
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
This list has 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