Journalists in State of Emergency – 135

Etkin news agency (ETHA) editor Semiha Şahin and two correspondents of the agency, Pınar Gayıp and Adil Demirci, were taken into custody by the police during early morning raids on their homes on April 13.
 
News reports said Demirci was originally based in Germany and has been on vacation in Istanbul for the past several days.
 
Another ETHA reporter, Ömer Akın, was also arrested in the afternoon as he was covering a news story in Kadıköy.
 
The grounds for the journalists’ arrests were unclear as of Friday afternoon.
 
 
Özgürlükçü Demokrasi distributor arrested
 
Barış Polat, a Gaziantep-based distributor for the pro-Kurdish Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper, was taken into custody on April 12 at the intercity bus terminal of Gaziantep. The newspaper recently made headlines with the March 28 police raid on its head office and the detention of several of its editors. The grounds for Polat’s arrest were not disclosed.
 
 
Journalist Naif Yaşar briefly detained in Van
 
Journalist Naif Yaşar was arrested on April 11 in the eastern province of Van during an early morning police raid on his house. Yaşar was taken to the anti-terror branch of the Van Police Department. He was released the same day on judicial control terms. Sources said the grounds for his arrest were the interviews Yaşar conducted during the “Turkish-Kurdish Peace Process.”
 
 
Silvan Mücadele local newspaper’s owner arrested
 
Ferhat Parlak, the owner of the Diyarbakır-based local newspaper Silvan Mücadele, was taken into custody on April 11 during police operations in the southeastern district of Silvan along with at least three other people. The grounds for the arrests were not disclosed.
 
 
Nurcan Baysal faces 3 years in prison for “inciting public hatred”
 
Journalist and columnist Nurcan Baysal will stand trial at the 7th Criminal Court of First Instance of Diyarbakır on the charge of “inciting the public to hatred and animosity or degrading.”
 
Baysal was arrested on January 22 on account of her social media posts concerning Turkey’s ongoing military operation on Syria’s Afrin. She was released from custody on January 24.
 
The indictment, issued by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, seeks up to three years in prison for Baysal. The trial is expected to get under way in the coming months.
 
 
Former Evrensel editor risks 6 years in prison for “Paradise Papers” reports
 
Çağrı Sarı, the former responsible managing editor of Evrensel daily, faces up to six years in prison on “insult” and “slander” charges for publishing two news stories about “Paradise Papers” in November 2017.
 
The Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance recently accepted an indictment against Evrensel and its former responsible managing editor, issued upon a complaint by Energy Minister Berat Albayrak and his brother Serhat Albayrak. Serhat Albayrak’s name was mentioned in “Paradise Papers,” a set of 13.4 million leaked confidential electronic documents relating to offshore investments by more than 120 politicians, among other high profile names, from 50 countries.
 
 
Jin News reporter Filiz Zeyrek released after 13 days in custody
 
Jin News reporter Filiz Zeyrek, who was arrested on March 30 in Adana during an early morning raid, was released on April 12 after spending 13 days in custody.
 
Zeyrek was among 38 individuals who were arrested during the sweeping operations conducted in Adana, Istanbul, Isparta, Mersin, Osmaniye and MArdin on account of their social media posts.
 
The news photographs found on Zeyrek’s computer were regarded as evidence against the journalist during her police interrogation. A prosecutor referred Zeyrek to court for detention on remand on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization.” The court released the reporter, imposing judicial control terms and a travel ban.
 
 
Journalist Ömer Ödemiş released on judicial control
 
An Ankara court on April 11 released journalist Ömer Ödemiş, the Middle East representative and editor for the online newspaper ABC and TELE 1 Television, who was taken into custody on April 7 in Hatay, on judicial control terms.
 
Ödemiş was arrested on the accusation of “conducting propaganda for a terrorist organization” as part of an investigation launched by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
 
The journalist was brought to Ankara upon being arrested. Anti-terror police also searched Ödemiş’s apartment in Ankara, confiscating several documents, books and digital material found in the house.
 
 
More Boğaziçi University students taken into custody
 
Two more students from Istanbul’s Boğaziçi University were taken into police custody on campus on April 12 for protesting a group of Boğaziçi students who were distributing Turkish delights on campus late March in support of Turkey’s military operation on Afrin.
 
At least 16 of the protesting students had been arrested during police raids in late March and nine of those students were jailed pending trial on April 3 on the charge of “spreading terrorist propaganda.”
 
A detailed report can be found here.
 
 
Peace academics convicted of “terrorism propaganda”
 
Two signatories of the “Academics for Peace” declaration were convicted of “terrorism propaganda” and sentenced to 15 months in prison on April 12. The sentences were deferred. 
 
The academics, Stefo Benlisoy of the Istanbul Technical University and Yasemin Gülsüm Acar from Özyeğin University, appeared before the Istanbul 32nd High Criminal Court for the second hearing of their cases. In Benlisoy’s trial, the court rejected lawyers’ requests for further discussion of evidence. In Acar’s trial, lawyer Selin Yılmaz said Acar had signed the petition to call for peace and demander her acquittal.
 
 
List of journalists in prison
 
(as of April 13, 2018)
 
1                Abdulkadir Turay, DİHA reporter
2                Abdullah Kaya, DİHA
3                Abdullah Kılıç, Habertürk
4                Abdullah Özyurt, Zaman reporter
5                Abdulvahap İş, freelance journalist
6                Ahmet Altan
7                Ahmet Feyzullah Özyurt
8                Ahmet Memiş, Haberdar news website
9                Ahmet Metin Sekizkardeş, Zaman journalist
10              Ahmet Turan Alkan, Zaman
11              Ahmet Yavaş, TRT (Erzurum)
12              Akın Atalay, Cumhuriyet Foundation executive board chairman
13              Alaattin Güner, Cihan media director
14              Ali Ahmet Böken, TRT News coordinator
15              Ali Akkuş, Zaman
16              Ali Aşikar, Azadiya Welat
17              Ali Babür Boysal, Zaman page designer
18              Ali Bulaç, former Zaman columnist
19              Ali Sönmez Kayar, ETHA reporter
20              Ali Ünal, Zaman columnist
21              Ali Yüce, TRT Radio broadcasts chief
22              Arafat Dayan, Demokratik Ulus
23              Aslı Ceren Aslan, Özgür Gelecek
24              Ayşe Nazlı Ilıcak
25              Ayşenur Parıldak, Zaman, Haberdar
26              Aytekin Gezici, journalist/writer
27              Aziz İstegün, Diyarbakır Zaman representative
28              Barış Ceyhan, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi employee
29              Bayram Kaya, Zaman reporter
30              Behram Kılıç
31              Beytullah Özdemir, Zaman Düzce bureau chief
32              Burçin Dokgöz, former Zaman and Çorum reporter
33              Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Journalists and Writers’ Foundation
34              Ceren Taşkın, Hatay'ın Sesi
35              Cuma Kaya, Zaman
36              Cuma Ulus, Millet newspaper’s publications coordinator
37              Cüneyt Seza Özkan, Samanyolu TV
38              Çetin Kurşun, Azadiya Welat
39              Emin Demir, freelancer
40              Emre Soncan, Zaman defense reporter
41              Ercan Gün, Fox TV
42              Erdal Süsem, Eylül magazine editor
43              Erdal Şen, former Meydan managing editor
44              Erdoğan Alayumat, Dihaber reporter
45              Erol Yüksel, TRT News Department vice president
46              Erol Zavar, Odak magazine owner and newsroom director
47              Fahrettin Kılıç, Özgür Toplum
48              Faruk Akkan, Cihan news agency
49              Ferhat Çiftçi, Azadiya Welat Gaziantep bureau chief
50              Fevzi Yazıcı, Zaman chief designer
51              Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Türksolu columnist
52              Gurbet Çakar, Hevi women’s magazine
53              Gültekin Avcı
54              Habip Güler, Zaman reporter
55              Hakan Aksel, TRT producer-director
56              Hakan Ergün, Azadiya Welat and Özgür Gündem distributor
57              Hakan Taşdelen
58              Halil İbrahim Mert, TRT (Erzurum)
59              Hamit Dilbahar, Azadiya Welat columnist
60              Hamza Günerigök, TRT
61              Hanım Büşra Erdal, Zaman reporter and columnist
62              Hasan Duman, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi distributor
63              Hatice Duman, Atılım newspaper owner and managing editor
64              Havva Cuştan, ETHA reporter
65              Hayati Yıldız, Azadiya Welat
66              Haydar Ergül, Demokratik Modernite editor
67              Hicran Ürün, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi editor
68              Hidayet Karaca, Samanyolu Media Group president
69              Hüseyin Aydın, Cihan reporter
70              Hüseyin Turan, Zaman columnist
71              İbrahim Kareyeğen, responsible editor for Zaman
72              İdris Okur, Cihan New Agency Çorum reporter
73              İdris Sayılgan, DİHA
74              İdris Yılmaz
75              İhsan Yaşar, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi owner
76              İshak Karakaş, Hakın Nabzı editor-in-chief
77              İshak Yasul, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi responsible managing editor
78              İsmail Ersan, Anatolia news agency
79              İsminaz Temel, ETHA editor
80              Kamuran Sunbat, former DİHA Çukurova reporter
81              Kemal Demir, TV 10
82              Kemal Özer, Evrensel
83              Kenan Karavil, Radyo Dünya editor-in-chief
84              Kubilay Çelik, Antropolog magazine responsible managing editor
85              Mehmet Ali Ay
86              Mehmet Ali Çelebi, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi editor
87              Mehmet Altan
88              Mehmet Baransu, Taraf columnist/reporter
89              Mehmet Dener, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief
90              Mehmet Dursun
91              Mehmet Güleş, DİHA
92              Mehmet Gündem
93              Mehmet Kuru, Zaman Eskişehir reporter
94              Mehmet Özdemir, Zaman columnist
95              Meltem Oktay, DİHA reporter
96              Mikail Barut, Özgür Halk former editor
97              Miktat Algül, Mezitli FM broadcast coordinator
98              Mizgin Çay, Radyo Karacadağ
99              Muhammed Sait Kuloğlu, owner of Subuhaber.com
100            Muhammet Taşçılar, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief
101            Muhsin Pilgir, Zaman and Cihan news agency
102            Murat Avcıoğlu, Zaman
103            Murat Çapan, Nokta
104            Murat Dağdeviren, Demokrat Gebze owner
105            Mustafa Erkan Acar, Bugün news editor
106            Mustafa Gök, Ankara bureau chief for Ekmek ve Adalet magazine
107            Mustafa Göktaş, Özgür Gündem Şanlıurfa reporter
108            Mustafa Ünal, Zaman
109            Mutlu Çölgeçen, Millet, newsroom coordinator
110            Mutlu Özay, Cihan reporter
111            Mümtazer Türköne, Zaman columnist
112            Nadir Yücel, Çorum Yıldız local newspaper editor-in-chief
113            Nedim Türfent, DİHA
114            Nizamettin İzgi, Batman newspaper owner
115            Nuh Gönültaş, Bugün columnist
116            Nuri Durna, TRT
117            Nuri Yeşil, Azadiya Welat Dersim bureau chief
118            Nurullah Kaya, Gaziantep Zaman representative
119            Oğuz Usluer, Habertürk former broadcasts coordinator
120            Osman Yakut, Zaman Antalya
121            Ömer Oruç, Cihan newspaper
122            Özcan Keser, TRT reporter
123            Pınar Tarlak, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi employee
124            Rabia Özkaya, Özgür Halk
125            Ramazan Alkan, Yeni Akit reporter
126            Resul Cengiz, Denizli reporter with Zaman
127            Reyhan Hacıoğlu, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi editor
128            Sadık Demir, Radyo Karacadağ
129            Sait Gürkan Tuzlu, Cihan reporter
130            Salih Erbekler, Radyo Karacadağ
131            Sami Tunca, Mücadele Birliği magazine managing editor
132            Seda Taşkın, Mezopotamya News Agency reporter
133            Semiha Mete, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi reporter/distributor
134            Serhat Şeftali, Zaman regional bureau chief for the Med region
135            Serkan Aydemir, Bitlis Aktüel reporter
136            Serpil Ünal, Mücadele Birliği reporter
137            Sertan Önal, Halkın Günlüğü reporter
138            Seyid Kılıç, TRT News
139            Seyithan Akyüz, Azadiya Welat Adana bureau chief
140            Songül Yücel, Önsöz editor in chief
141            Süleyman Acar, Mücadele Birliği editor in chief
142            Şahabettin Demir, DİHA reporter
143            Şeref Yılmaz, Irmak TV
144            Şerife Oruç, DİHA reporter
145            Togay Okay, Özgür Gelecek
146            Tuncer Çetinkaya, Zaman Antalya
147            Turgut Usul, TRT reporter
148            Ufuk Şanlı, former Vatan columnist
149            Ünal Tanık, Rota Haber editor-in-chief
150            Vahit Yazgan, İzmir Zaman bureau chief
151            Veli Büyükşahin, TV10 executive
152            Veli Haydar Güleç, TV10 executive
153            Yakup Çetin, Zaman reporter
154            Yakup Şimşek, Zaman, marketing director
155            Yalçın Güler, TRT (Erzurum)
156            Yener Dönmez, Habervaktim news website
157            Yetkin Yıldız, Aktif Haber website editor
158            Yılmaz Kahraman, Özgür Halk editor
159            Zafer Özsoy
160            Zehra Doğan, Jinha
161            Ziya Ataman, DİHA reporter
 
For a full list of all the imprisoned journalists in Turkey, visit this spreadsheet. Lists of all of the foundations and associations as well as media outlets shut down can also be found at the same link, although on different tabs of the same spreadsheet.