Journalists in state of Emergency – 31

 
 
In the final week of November, journalists continued to experience detentions, press card cancellations and travel bans.

In the most alarming development, independent media reported on Nov. 30 that Müjgan Ekin, a former presenter for Özgür Gün TV, shut down by a government decree in August, had been missing since Oct. 24, when witnesses saw her being dragged into a police car. The young woman was in Ankara traveling in a taxi when she was abducted by individuals who identified themselves as police officers, according to eyewitnesses. No official statement has been issued about the allegations.
 
Coup investigation and other detentions
 
On  Nov. 29, police detained Vedat Beki, editor-in-chief of the online news outlet Sözcü18, as part of the ongoing investigation into the July 15 coup attempt conducted by the Çankırı Prosecutor’s office.
 
On Dec. 1, a top executive for Doğan Holding – a conglomerate active in industrial production, energy, tourism and insurance; and the owner of many newspapers, television networks and other media including the Hürriyet daily, CNNTürk, KanalD, digital TV platform D-Smart, was detained as part of the coup probe. Barbaros Muratoğlu, the Ankara representative for Doğan Holding, was flown to İstanbul following his detention.
 
On Nov. 26, Hatice Kamer, a reporter for BBC Turkey, was detained and kept in custody overnight in the Şirvan district of Siirt province. Kamer was in the area to cover a recent landslide that claimed the lives of several miners in the region.
 
Reporters for the shuttered Dicle News Agency (DİHA) Meltem Oktay and Uğur Akgül were sentenced to four years in prison on charges of propagating for a terrorist organization. The two journalists were initially detained in April, and Oktay had remained under arrest until her release on Aug. 18.
 
Fethi Balaman, another DİHA reporter, was detained in Mardin’s Kızıltepe district on Nov. 26. No explanation was offered by officials as to the reason for his detention.
 
On Nov. 30, the Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office submitted an indictment into former Zaman reporter Ayşenur Parıldak to an Ankara court. Parıldak was arrested after the coup attempt on charges of membership in what judicial officials call the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), the name the Turkish government has used in the recent years to refer to the religious movement led by Pennsylvania-based cleric Fethullah Gülen. The prosecutor demands between 7.5 to 15 years for Parıldak.
 
On Nov. 30, a court issued an international travel ban for Kerem Altan, a journalist who previously stood trial in relation with the accidental death of a television celebrity in Turkey. Kerem Altan is the son of journalist and writer Ahmet Altan, who was arrested in late September as part of the coup probe. Lawyers for Kerem Altan issued a statement, saying that the flight ban was aimed at “slandering and damaging the reputation” of their client.
 
Access bans and press card cancellations
 
On Nov. 25, the website of independent news outlet Dokuz8 Haber was blocked by court order. TODAY-TAREM, a nonprofit that was also the founder of Dokuz8, was shut down on Nov. 22 by cabinet decree.
 
On Nov. 23, access to the online news outlet Kurultay (kurultay.com.tr) was blocked. Authorities also cancelled the press card of the site’s editor-in-chief, Aydın Taş, who held the card as the Ankara Bureau Chief for the Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq. Taş has claimed authorities were acting in accordance with a demand expressed by the Ilham Aliyev government.
 
On Nov. 30, authorities issued a gag order on reports about a dormitory fire, which claimed the lives of 11 young girls and one educator.
 
Reports and publications
 
UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression David Kaye, who visited Turkey and met with representatives of independent media, civil society groups as well as Turkish officials, published an article on Nov. 29 where he shared his observations from the visit. “Turkey’s friends in the West need to do more to convince Erdoğan to recommit to the rule of law,” Kaye wrote in the column.
 
Another visitor to Turkey, US journalist Lindsey Snell who was held in prison on suspicion of espionage, wrote about her ordeal in the Daily Beast.
 
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 news site
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
Bayram Parlak, Radyo Cihan (Diyarbakır)
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 Magazine 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 columnist -Released
Lokman Erdoğan, Çorum Manşet (Antalya) owner and columnist
Mehmet Altan
Mehmet Dener, Şanlıurfa.com sitesi yayın yönetmeni
Mehmet Kuru, Zaman Eskişehir reporter
Mehmet Özdemir, Zaman
Muhammet Taşçılar, Sanliurfa.com website editor-in-chief
Murat Aksoy, Yeni Şafak columnist
Murat Avcıoğlu, Zaman
Murat Öztürk, Çorum Manşet (Antalya) managing editor
Mustafa Erkan Acar, Bugün news manager
Mustafa Ünal, Ankara Bureau Chief of Zaman
Mutlu Çölgeçen, Millet newsroom coordinator
Mümtazer Türköne, Zaman columnist
Nuri Durna, TRT
Nuriye Ural (Akman), Zaman columnist -Released
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 news site
Yetkin Yıldız, Aktif Haber
Zafer Özsoy
 
Journalists arrested in Cumhuriyet operation on Nov. 5, 2016
Akın Atalay, President of Cumhuriyet Foundation Executive Board (arrested on Nov. 12)
 Murat Sabuncu, Editor-in-Chief
 Kadri Gürsel, Editorial Advisor
Turhan Günay, Chief Editor of the paper’s book supplement
Musa Kart, Cartoonist
Güray Tekin Öz, columnist
Hakan Karasinir, columnist
Mustafa Kemal Güngör, Cumhuriyet Foundation board member
Önder Çelik, Cumhuriyet Foundation board member
Bülent Utku, Cumhuriyet Foundation board member
 
Journalists taken into custody as part of coup probe
 
Abdullah Katırcıoğlu, 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
Vedat Beki, Sözcü 18, In custody
 
Journalists released after being held 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 publications 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, scheduled 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 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, 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
Arjin Dilek — DİHA, Released
Beritan İrlan — DİHA,Released
Şaban İba, Özgür Gündem – In custody
Olivier Bertrand, Le Jour – Deported after release
Müjgan Ekin, Özgür Gün  TV – Believed to have been abducted in extrajudicial detention
Fethi Balaman – DİHA – in custody
 
Journalists 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 – Released and deported on Oct. 13
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
Mehmet Anıl – ETHA
Sadık Demir – Radyo Karacadağ
Mizgin Çay – Radyo Karacadağ
Salih Erbekler – Radyo Karacadağ
Togay Okay – Özgür Gelecek
Ayhan Karahan – Local Bodrum journalist
Perihan Kara – Freelance journalist
Aysel Işık – Freelance journalist
 
List of journalists arrested before State of Emergency

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, Denge TV, Mezopotamya TV and Birlik Medya TV.
 
News Agencies: Cihan Haber Ajansı, Muhabir Haber Ajansı, SEM Haber Ajansı, JIN, DİHA
 
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, Azadiya Welat, Batman Çağdaş, CizrePostası, Güney Express,İdil Haber,Kızıltepe’nin Sesi, Prestij Haber Gazetesi, Urfanatik Gazetesi, Yüksekova Haber.Express Gazetesi (Adana), Türkiye Manşet (Çorum), Dağyeli Gazetesi (Hatay), Akis Gazetesi (Kütahya), İpekyolu Gazetesi (Ordu), Son Dakika Gazetesi (İzmir), Yedigün Gazetesi (Ankara), Haberexen Dergisi(Samsun) .
 
Magazines: Akademik Araştırmalar, Aksiyon, Asya Pasifik, Bisiklet Çocuk, Diyalog, Avrasya, Ekolife, Ekoloji, Fountain, Gonca, Gül Yaprağı, Nokta, Sızıntı, Yağmur, Yeni Ümit, Zirve, Evrensel Kültür Dergisi, Özgürlük Dünyası,Tiroj.
 
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, Patnos FM,  Dünya Radyo, Batman FM.
 
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.
 
Outlets allowed to resume broadcasts after being shut down under SoE: Zarok TV (must comply with new requirement of 40 percent of broadcasts in Turkish), Yön Radyo.
 
*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