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 – 4

Journalists in State of Emergency – 4

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
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