Journalists in State of Emergency – 17
Number of imprisoned journalists in Turkey stands at 117 as of Sept. 7
07.09.2016
On Sept. 6, two distributors of Turkey’s only Kurdish-language daily, Azadiya Welat, whose 24 employees were detained in a raid on Aug. 28, were put under arrest on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization.”
Twelve of the 24 detained were let go on Sept. 1.
On Sept. 6, a court ruled to release the newspaper’s distributors Yasemin Sayın, Serdal Polat, Zeynep İzgi, Hayat Yılmaz, Mehmet Emin Kaya, Mecrum Tekol, İbrahim Bayram and Engin Özelçi on probation terms. Two other distributors, Arap Turan and Ferit Toprak, were placed under arrest.
Mecrum Tekol was detained in another terror related investigation shortly after his release.
Özgür Halk employee arrested
According to a report by Özgürlükçü Demokrasi, the successor to the shuttered Özgür Gündem, Rabia Özkaya – an employee of the Özgür Halk (Free People) magazine — was arrested on Sept. 6, one day after a raid on the publication’s office in İzmir.
DİHA reporter released
On Sept. 1, Dicle News Agency (DİHA) reporter Mehmet Arslan, who had been under arrest since Aug. 2, was released from prison on probation after an objection he had filed with a higher court was accepted. Arslan was initially detained in the Karayazı district of Erzurum province.
Aslı Erdoğan and Evrensel reporters
On Sept. 6, the Istanbul 5th Criminal Judicature of Peace turned down an appeal against the arrest of Aslı Erdoğan, writer and an advisor to the shuttered Özgür Gündem. Erdoğan was arrested on terror related charges on Aug. 20.
Two reporters of the Evrensel daily, Cemil Uğur and Halil İbrahim Polat, have been in jail for 16 days as of Sept. 7 without being referred to a court, creating grave concern as there have been reports of police mistreatment of the two journalists under detention.
Developments in coup probe
Three writers for the Yeni Çağ newspaper – Servet Avcı, Adnan İslamoğulları and Yavuz Selim Demirağ — were detained on Sept. 7 as part of the post-coup operation. News reports have noted that Demirağ has written a book critical of the Fethullah Gülen movement in the past.
117 journalists in prison
The most recent arrests bring the total number of journalists, newspaper owners or owners to various newspapers’ rights who are currently imprisoned to 117. This number does not include any of the 52 employees of the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), who were reported to have been detained without their names being released. Nor does it include those journalists who were detained in Antalya on July 25 without their names being publicly released, or those individuals who are known to have been detained as part of the coup investigation but whose possible arrest has not been reported in the press, or journalists who have been convicted on charges other than those usually leveled against journalists in Turkey.
As of Sept. 7, 86 journalists have been put under arrest since Turkey’s declaration of a State of Emergency on July 20. Sixteen of those under arrest were arrested on charges unrelated to the coup investigation. So far, only one of the journalists arrested during the State of Emergency has been released from prison.
Last known legal status of journalists for whom detention warrants have been issued as part of post-coup probe
| Abdullah Abdulkadiroğlu, Samanyolu TV, Left the country according to AA |
| Abdullah Alparslan Akkuş,Former NTV news editor, Released |
| Abdullah Katırcıoğlu, Under arrest |
| Abdullah Kılıç, Meydan columnist, Under arrest |
| Abdullah Özyurt, local Adana journalists, Under arrest |
| Adil Gülçek, Former Cihan Medya director Adnan İslamoğulları, Yeni Çağ, In custody |
| Ahmet Dönmez, Former Zaman reporter, Left the country according to AA |
| Ahmet Memiş, Newsdar, Under arrest |
| Ahmet Metin Sekizkardeş, Cihan Medya President, Under arrest |
| Ahmet Turan Alkan, Former Zaman columnist, Under arrest |
| Ahmet Yavaş, TRT (Erzurum), Under arrest |
| Alaattin Güner, Former Cihan Medya director, Under arrest |
| Alaattin Kaya, formerly owner to Zaman’s rights, Under arrest |
| Ali Akbulut, formerly owner to Zaman’s rights |
| Ali Akkuş, Former Zaman general publications editor, Under arrest |
| Ali Bulaç, Former Zaman columnist, Under arrest |
| Ali Ünal, former Zaman columnist, Under arrest |
| Ali Yurttagül, former Zaman columnist Arda Akın, Hürriyet reporter, Under arrest |
| Arzu Yıldız, Haberdar Ankara Bureau Chief |
| Ayhan Şimşek , Released on probation |
| Ayşe Nazlı Ilıcak, Yarına Bakış, Under arrest Ayşe Özkalay, former Yeni Hayat columnist |
| Ayşenur Parıldak, Zaman, Under arrest |
| Aytekin Gezici, Under arrest Asım Yıldırım, former STV anchor Atilla Taş, Meydan columnist, Under arrest |
| Aziz İstegün, Former Zaman Diyarbakır regional representative, Under arrest |
| Bayram Kaya, Zaman, Yeni Hayat reporter, Under arrest |
| Behçet Akyar |
| Bertan Golali, TRT İstanbul, Under arrest |
| Bilal Şahin, Özgür Düşünce, Left the country according to AA |
| Bülent Ceyhan, Özgür Düşünce reporter, Left the country according to AA |
| Bülent Keneş, Former Today's Zaman Editor-in-chief |
| Bülent Korucu, Former Zaman columnist Can Bahadır Yüce, former Zaman columnist Celil Sağır,Today's Zaman managing editor |
| Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Under arrest |
| Cevheri Güven, Nokta Magazine Editor-in-chief |
| Cihan Acar, Former Bugün reporter, |
| Cihat Ünal, Antalya Zaman reporter, Under arrest |
| Cuma Kaya, Under arrest |
| Cuma Ulus, Former Millet publications coordinator, Under arrest |
| Cumali Önal, Former Zaman Arabic service editor, Under arrest |
| Dinçer Gökçe,Hürriyet internet editor, Released on probation |
| Eda Şanlı, owner of local Antalya newspaper, Bizim Antalya columnist, Under arrest |
| Emre Koçali, Newsdar, Under arrest |
| Emre Soncan, Former Zaman defense reporter, Under arrest |
| Ercan Gün, Fox TV News Editor, Under arrest |
| Erdal Şen, Meydan Editor, Under arrest |
| Ergun Babahan, Left the country according to AA Erhan Başyurt, former Bugün editor-in-chief |
| Erkan Akkuş, Former Bugün TV anchor |
| Erkan Büyük, Newsdar, Under arrest |
| Ertuğrul Erbaş, Former Nokta Magazine editor Eyüp Can Sağlık, former Radikal GYY, former Hürriyet digital press coordinator |
| Faruk Akkan, Cihan Ajansı, Under arrest Faruk Arslan, former Zaman columnist |
| Faruk Kardıç |
| Fatih Akalan, Samanyolu News Tv commentator, Left the country according to AA |
| Fatih Yağmur, Former Radikal reporter, Left the country according to AA |
| Fevzi Yazıcı, Under arrest Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Türk Solu columnist, Under arrest |
| Gültekin Avcı, Bugün, Under arrest |
| Habip Güler, Former Zaman reporter, Under arrest |
| Hakan Bülent Yardımcı, Under arrest |
| Hakan Taşdelen, Under arrest |
| Halil İbrahim Mert, TRT (Erzurum), Under arrest |
| Hamit Bilici, Former Zaman Editor-in-chief |
| Hamit Çiçek |
| Hanım Büşra Erdal, Former Zaman reporter and columnist, Under arrest Hasan Cücük, former Zaman reporter |
| Haşim Söylemez, Former Aksiyon Magazine columnist, Under arrest |
| Hilmi Yavuz, Former Zaman columnist, Let go due to health condition, will testify later |
| Hüseyin Aydın, Cihan reporter, Under arrest |
| Hüseyin Döğme |
| Hüseyin Turan, Feza Group partner, Under arrest |
| İbrahim Balta, Former Zaman finance editor, Under arrest |
| İbrahim Karayeğen, Eski Zaman newsroom editor, Under arrest İbrahim Öztürk, former Zaman columnist |
| İhsan Duran Dağı, Former Zaman columnist, Released by prosecutor |
| İhsan Yılmaz, former Today's Zaman columnist |
| İsa Siyi, Haberdar, Under arrest |
| İskender Yunus Tiryaki,Bugün reporter, Under arrest |
| Kamil Maman, Former Bugün reporter, Left the country according to AA Kemal Gülen, STV anchor |
| Kenan Baş, Antalya Zaman reporter, Under arrest Kerim Balcı, Turkish Review magazine editor-in-chief |
| Kerim Gün, Former Zaman editor |
| Lalezar Sarıibrahimoğlu (Lale Kemal), Former Zaman columnist, Under arrest |
| Levent Arap,Postmedya.com website administrator, Released on probation |
| Levent Kenez, Meydan Editor-in-chief |
| Lokman Erdoğan, Çorum Manşet, Under arrest Mahmut Akpınar, former Millet columnist |
| Mahmut Hazar, Cihan News Ajansı, Left the country according to AA |
| Mehmet Akif Afşar |
| Mehmet Gündem, Former Milliyet columnist, Released by the court |
| Mehmet Kamış, Former Zaman columnist |
| Mehmet Kuru, Former Zaman Eskişehir reporter, Under arrest |
| Mehmet Özdemir, Under arrest |
| Melih Kılıç, Zaman Medya Group sales department executive |
| Metin Tamer Gökçeoğlu |
| Metin Yıkar, Samanyolu News |
| Muhammed Fatih Uğur, Former Zaman news manager |
| Murat Aksoy,Yarına Bakış columnist, Under arrest |
| Murat Avcıoğlu, Under arrest |
| Mustafa Erkan Acar, Cihan News Ajansı, Under arrest |
| Mustafa Ünal, Under arrest Mutlu Çölgeçen, Millet newsroom coordinator, Under arrest |
| Mümtaz'er Türköne, Former Zaman columnist, Under arrest |
| Mürsel Genç, Former Cihan reporter |
| Nevzat Güner |
| Nuri Durna, TRT (Erzurum), Under arrest |
| Nuriye Ural (Akman), Former Zaman columnist, Under arrest |
| Nurullah Kaya, Former Zaman Gaziantep bureau chief, Under arrest |
| Nurullah Öztürk,Yeni Şafak former Genel Koordinatörü ve Zaman columnist, Released |
| Oktay Vızvız |
| Olgun Matur, Antalya Yerel, Under arrest |
| Osman Nuri Arslan, FİA Şirketi Ortağı, Released on probation |
| Osman Nuri Öztürk, Released on probation |
| Osman Özsoy, Left the country according to AA |
| Osman Yakut, Former Zaman Antalya Reporter, Under arrest |
| Ömer Karakaş |
| Ömer Şahin ,Meydan’s former Ankara bureau chief, Released Önder Deligöz, former Yeni Şafak reporter |
| Özcan Keser, TRT İstanbul, Under arrest |
| Özkan Mayda, Antalya Zaman reporter, Under arrest |
| Rasih Yılmaz,Samanyoluhaber columnist, Released |
| Resul Cengiz, Former Zaman Denizli reporter, Under arrest |
| Rıfat Söylemez, Adana Günaydın, Under arrest |
| Sait Sefa, Haberdar Savaş Genç, former TRT reporter and academic |
| Sedat Yetişkin |
| Selahattin Sevi, Former Zaman photography coordinator, Left the country according to AA Selçuk Gültaşlı, Zaman Brussels representative and Zaman columnist Servet Avcı, Yeniçağ, In custody |
| Sevgi Akarçeşme, Former Today’s Zaman editor-in-chief |
| Seyid Kılıç, Former TRT reporter, Under arrest |
| Süleyman Sargın |
| Şahin Alpay, Former Zaman columnist, Under arrest |
| Şemsettin Efe, Samanyolu News, Left the country according to AA |
| Şenol Kahraman |
| Şeref Yılmaz, Irmak TV, Under arrest |
| Taner Talaş, Adana local journalist, Under arrest |
| Tuncer Çetinkaya, Zaman Antalya, Under arrest |
| Turan Görüryılmaz, Can Erzincan TV sunucusu, Left the country according to AA Turhan Bozkurt, former Zaman columnist |
| Ufuk Emin Köroğlu, Karşı Gazete reporter, Left the country according to AA |
| Ufuk Şanlı, Former Vatan columnist, Under arrest Vahit Yazgan, Former Zaman İzmir representative, Under arrest |
| Vedat Demir, Former Yarına Bakış columnist, Under arrest |
| Veysel Ayhan |
| Yakup Çetin, Former Zaman reporter, Under arrest |
| Yakup Sağlam, Former Samanyolu reporter, Released on probation |
| Yakup Şimşek, Former Zaman marketing department director, Under arrest |
| Yalçın Güler, TRT (Erzurum), Under arrest Yavuz Baydar, former Bugün columnist Yavuz Selim Demirağ, Yeni Çağ columnist, In custody Yener Dönmez, Habervaktim.com owner, Under arrest Yonca Kaya Şahin, Rotahaber columnist |
| Yüksel Durgut |
| Yüksel Evsen, Adana local journalist, Under arrest |
| Zafer Özsoy, Under arrest |
| Zeki Önal, Not detained due to advanced age and illness. |
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, Under arrest
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, Released on probation
Sabahattin Koyuncu – DİHA, Under arrest
Cemil Uğur – Evrensel, Released on probation
Yasemin Sayın– Azadiya Welat, Released on probation
Hayat Yılmaz– Azadiya Welat, Released on probation
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 Tekol – Azadiya Welat, 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 (Released on Sept 1)
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
List of journalists arrested before State of Emergency
| Abdulkadir Turay, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter |
| Ali Konar, Azadiya Welat representative, Convicted |
| Arafat Dayan, Demokratik Ulus former managing editor |
| Cebrail Parıltı, Anadolu Ajansı (AA) Derik reporter |
| Emin Demir, Freelancer |
| Erdal Süsem, Eylül Magazine Editor, Convicted |
| Erol Zavar, Odak magazine’s owner, Convicted |
| Ferhat Çiftçi, Azadiya Welat Gaziantep representative, Convicted |
| Feyyaz İmrak, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter |
| Gurbet Çakar, Hevi women’s magazine, Convicted |
| Hamit Dilbahar, Azadiya Welat columnist, Convicted |
| Hatice Duman, owner of Atılım newspaper, Convicted |
| Hidayet Karaca, President of Samanyolu Media |
| Kamuran Sunbat, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA), Convicted |
| Kenan Karavil, Radyo Dünya Editor-in-chief, Convicted |
| 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, Convicted |
| Muhammed Doğru, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter, Convicted |
| Mustafa Gök, Ekmek ve Adalet Magazine Ankara representative, Convicted |
| Nedim Türfent, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter, Convicted |
| Nuri Yeşil, Azadiya Welat Dersim Temsilcisi, Convicted |
| Özgür Amed (Ethem Çağır), Özgür Gündem columnist, Convicted |
| Sami Tunca, Mücadele Birliği Magazine news editor, Convicted Sevan Nişanyan, Convicted of violation of zoning plans |
| Serkan Aydemir, Bitlis Aktüel reporter |
| Seyithan Akyüz, Azadiya Welat Adana, Convicted |
| Şahabettin Demir, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter, Convicted |
| Şerife Oruç, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter |
| Şermin Soydan, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter |
| Yılmaz Kahraman, Özgür Halk Magazine Editor, Convicted |
| 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.
News Agencies: Cihan Haber Ajansı, Muhabir Haber Ajansı and SEM Haber Ajansı
News papers: 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.
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 ca