Turkey detains editor of opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet

November 01, 2016 - 11:00

Turkish police on Monday detained the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Cumhuriyet - a thorn in the side of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan - as Ankara widens a crackdown on opposition media.

ISTANBUL — Turkish police on Monday detained the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Cumhuriyet as Ankara widens a crackdown on opposition media.

The Cumhuriyet, which had published revelations embarrassing for the government, said at least a dozen journalists and executives were detained in early morning raids.

The raids came after authorities fired more than 10,000 civil servants at the weekend and closed 15 pro-Kurdish and other media outlets, the latest purge since July’s failed military coup aimed at ousting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Cumhuriyet’s editor Murat Sabuncu was detained and police were hunting for executive board chairman Akin Atalay, the official news agency Anadolu said.

The Istanbul prosecutor said an investigation had been launched into allegations the secular daily’s output was "legitimising" the attempted putsch.

The newspaper said it would "fight until the end for democracy and freedom" in a statement on its website headlined: "We will not surrender".

Cumhuriyet said an arrest warrant was also issued for former editor-in-chief Can Dundar, who was sentenced to jail in May for allegedly revealing state secrets.

The newspaper had accused the government of seeking to illicitly deliver arms bound for Islamist rebels in Syria. Erdogan had warned Dundar he would "pay a heavy price".

Dundar is now believed to be in Germany after he was freed earlier this year pending appeal. — AFP

 

 

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