Journalists in State of Emergency – 78
Number of imprisoned journalists reaches 168 with two recent arrests; Cumhuriyet trial continues into fifth day
28.07.2017
On July 27, Evrensel columnist Yusuf Karataş was arrested as part of a Diyarbakır-centered operation into the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), a union of pro-Kurdish civil society organizations.
Karataş was put under arrest by the 1st Criminal Judgeship of Peace after visiting the Diyarbakır Police Station for a police interrogation. He was then referred to a prosecutor, who asked the judgeship to arrest the journalist.
Evrensel reported that Karataş was asked questions such as why he joined demonstrations held in protest of the Roboskî massacre — where 34 Kurdish citizens were killed in a bombing by Turkish Air Force jets in 2011.
Dihaber reporter arrested
Erdoğan Alayamut, a reporter for the Kurdish dihaber news agency, was arrested on July 27 on terror charges.
Alayamut was detained on July 13, together with fellow dihaber reporter Nuri Akman, while working on a news report. The two were referred to a court on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization.”
The court released Akman on judicial probation terms but ruled to arrest Alayamut.
Karataş and Alayamut’s arrests bring the total number of imprisoned journalists in Turkey to 168.
Şerife Oruç remains in prison
Journalist Şerife Oruç, who was detained by police in Batman province on July 3, 2016 on terror charges and later put under arrest, appeared before a court for the first time on July 27.
Oruç, who was arrested on July 5 , 2016 on suspicion of “membership in a terrorist organization” is being tried by the Batman 2nd High Criminal Court.
The journalist, who testified through video-conferencing, denied the accusations and said she was a journalist.
The panel of judges adjourned the session until Oct. 26 and ruled for Oruç to remain in prison.
Indictment into Zaman journalist submitted to court
An indictment accusing former Zaman columnist Ali Ünal of being an administrator of the “FETÖ/PDY” — the name given by Turkish authorities to the organization allegedly behind the July 15 coup attempt — was submitted to the Uşak 2nd High Criminal Court on July 24.
The indictment seeks two life sentences for Ünal for being an administrator of “FETÖ/PDY” and an additional 29.5 years in prison.
The columnist was detained on July 14 in Uşak province and arrested two days after this date.
Cumhuriyet trial first session
The trial of 19 suspects, including 17 Cumhuriyet journalists and executives, one former correspondent of the newspaper and a teacher unrelated to the media, began on July 24 and continued through the week with the 27th High Criminal Court holding its fifth session on July 28, when an interim ruling from the court is expected.
Sendika news website blocked for 55th time
The news website Sendika.org, which is frequently blocked by Turkey’s Information Technologies and Communications Agency (BTK) was shut down for the 55th time on July 27.
Sendika.org announced that it is now accessible at the address sendika56.org. The news website increases the number before the “.org” segment of its domain name by one with every access ban.
List of journalists in prison in Turkey
1 Abdulkadir Turay, DİHA reporter
2 Abdullah Kılıç, Habertürk
3 Abdullah Özyurt, Zaman reporter
4 Abdulvahap İş (Freelance journalist)
5 Abdürrahim Ersöz, Antalya
6 Ahmet Altan
7 Ahmet Memiş, Gazeteci, Haberdar news website
8 Ahmet Metin Sekizkardeş, Zaman journalist
9 Ahmet Şık, Cumhuriyet reporter
10 Ahmet Turan Alkan, Zaman
11 Ahmet Yavaş, TRT (Erzurum)
12 Akın Atalay, Pres. of Cumhuriyet Foundation Executive Board
13 Alaattin Güner, Cihan media director
14 Ali Ahmet Böken, TRT News coordinator
15 Ali Aşikar – Azadiya Welat
16 Ali Babür Boysal, Zaman page designer
17 Ali Bulaç, Eski Zaman columnist
18 Ali Konar, Azadiya Welat bureau chief
19 Ali Ünal, Zaman columnist
20 Ali Yüce, TRT Radio broadcasts chief
21 Arafat Dayan, Demokratik Ulus
22 Aslı Ceren Aslan, Özgür Gelecek
23 Atilla Taş, Meydan columnist
24 Ayhan Demir, Çaldıran News Agency
25 Ayşe Nazlı Ilıcak
26 Ayşenur Parıldak, Zaman, Haberdar
27 Aytekin Gezici, journalist/writer
28 Aziz İstegün, Diyarbakır Zaman representative
29 Bayram Kaya, Zaman reporter
30 Beytullah Özdemir, Zaman Düzce bureau chief
31 Burçin Dokgöz, former Zaman and Çorum reporter
32 Bülent Utku, Cumhuriyet Foundation board member
33 Bünyamin Köseli, Aksiyon magazine reporter
34 Cebrail Parıltı, Anadolu Ajansı (AA) Derik reporter
35 Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Journalists and Writers’ Foundation
36 Ceren Taşkın, Hatay'ın Sesi
37 Cihan Acar, Bugün reporter
38 Cuma Kaya, Zaman
39 Cuma Ulus, Millet newspaper’s publications coordinator
40 Deniz Yücel, Die Welt
41 Emin Demir, Freelancer
42 Emre Soncan, Zaman defense reporter
43 Ercan Gün, Fox TV
44 Erdal Süsem, Eylül magazine editor
45 Erdal Şen, former Meydan managing editor
46 Erdoğan Alayamut, Dihaber reporter
47 Erol Yüksel (TRT News Department vice president))
48 Erol Zavar, Odak magazine, owner and newsroom director
49 Fahrettin Kılıç, Özgür Toplum
50 Faruk Akkan, Cihan news agency
51 Ferhat Çiftçi, Azadiya Welat Gaziantep bureau chief
52 Fevzi Yazıcı
53 Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Türksolu columnist
54 Gökmen Ulu, Sözcü
55 Gurbet Çakar, Hevi women’s magazine
56 Gültekin Avcı
57 Güray Tekin Öz, columnist
58 Habip Güler, Zaman reporter
59 Hakan Aksel, TRT producer-director
60 Hakan Ergün, Azadiya Welat and Özgür Gündem distributor
61 Hakan Karasinir, columnist
62 Hakan Taşdelen
63 Halil İbrahim Mert, TRT (Erzurum)
64 Hamit Dilbahar, Azadiya Welat columnist
65 Hamza Günerigök, TRT
66 Hanım Büşra Erdal, Zaman reporter and columnist
67 Hasan Duman, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi distributor
68 Haşim Söylemez, Aksiyon columnist
69 Hatice Duman, Atılım newspaper’s owner and managing editor
70 Hayati Yıldız, Azadiya Welat
71 Hidayet Karaca, Samanyolu Media Group President
72 Hülya Karakaya, Özgür Halk Managing Editor
73 Hüseyin Aydın, Cihan reporter
74 Hüseyin Turan, Zaman columnist
75 İbrahim Balta, Zaman business editor
76 İbrahim Kareyeğen, responsible editor for Zaman
77 İdris Okur, Cihan New Agency Çorum reporter
78 İdris Sayılgan, DİHA
79 İlker İlkan, Azadiya Welat
80 İnan Kızılkaya, Özgür Gündem Newsroom Editor
81 İsa Siyi, Haberdar
82 İsmail Avcı, Zaman
83 İsmail Efe, local press advisor in İzmir
84 Kadri Gürsel, Editorial Advisor
85 Kamuran Sunbat, DİHA Çukurova reporter (formerly)
86 Kemal Sancılı, Özgür Gündem copyrights holder
87 Kenan Karavil, Radyo Dünya editor-in-chief
88 Lokman Erdoğan, Çorum Manşet, owner
89 Mahir Kanaat, BirGün, head of accountingn
90 Mediha Olgun, Sözcü
91 Mehmet Altan
92 Mehmet Baransu, Taraf columnist/reporter
93 Mehmet Çakmakçı, Medyascope.tv reporter
94 Mehmet Dener, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief
95 Mehmet Güleş, DİHA
96 Mehmet Kuru, Zaman Eskişehir reporter
97 Mehmet Özdemir, Zaman columnist
98 Meltem Oktay, DİHA reporter
99 Meşale Tolu, ETHA translater
100 Mikail Barut, Özgür Halk former editor
101 Miktat Algül, Mezitli FM General Publications Coordinator
102 Mizgin Çay – Radyo Karacadağ
103 Muhammet Taşçılar, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief
104 Murat Aksoy,former Yeni Şafak columnist
105 Murat Avcıoğlu, Zaman
106 Murat Çapan,
107 Murat Dağdeviren (Demokrat Gebze owner)
108 Murat Sabuncu, Editor-in- Chief
109 Musa Kart, Cartoonist
110 Mustafa Erkan Acar, Bugün news editor,
111 Mustafa Gök, Ankara bureau chief for Ekmek ve Adalet magazine
112 Mustafa Kemal Güngör, Cumhuriyet Foundation board member
113 Mustafa Ünal, Zaman
114 Mutlu Çölgeçen, Millet, newsroom coordinator
115 Mümtazer Türköne, Zaman columnist
116 Nadir Yücel, Çorum Yıldız (local) Editor-in-Chief
117 Nedim Türfent,DİHA
118 Nizamettin İzgi (Batman Newspaper’s owner)
119 Nur Ener, Yeni Asya
120 Nuri Durna, TRT
121 Nuri Yeşil, Azadiya Welat Dersim bureau chief
122 Nurullah Kaya, G.antep Zaman representative
123 Oğuz Usluer, Habertürk former broadcasts coordinator
124 Osman Yakut, Zaman Antalya
125 Ozan Kaplanoğlu, Bursa Muhalif
126 Ömer Çelik, DİHA news manager
127 Ömer Oruç, Cihan newspaper
128 Ömer Özdemir, Antalya eski Zaman muhabiri
129 Önder Çelik, Cumhuriyet Foundation board member
130 Özcan Keser (TRT reporter)
131 Rabia Özkaya, Özgür Halk
132 Ramazan Alkan, Yeni Akit reporter
133 Resul Cengiz, Denizli reporter with Zaman
134 Sadık Demir – Radyo Karacadağ
135 Salih Erbekler – Radyo Karacadağ
136 Sami Tunca, Mücadele Birliği magazine Managing Editor
137 Selman Keleş, DİHA
138 Serhat Şeftali, Zaman regional bureau chief for the Med region
139 Serkan Aydemir, Bitlis Aktüel reporter
140 Seyid Kılıç, TRT News
141 Seyithan Akyüz, Azadiya Welat Adana bureau chief
142 Sezgin Kartal, Sosyalist Dayanımşa magazine
143 Şahabettin Demir, DİHA reporter
144 Şahin Alpay, Zaman columnist
145 Şeref Yılmaz, Irmak TV
146 Şerife Oruç, DİHA reporter
147 Şirin Çoban, Azadiya Welat
148 Tahsin Kürklü, Zaman – head of Logistics Department
149 Togay Okay, Özgür Gelecek
150 Tunca Öğreten, former Diken editor
151 Tuncer Çetinkaya, Zaman Antalya
152 Turhan Günay, Chief Editor of Cumhuriyet supplement
153 Ufuk Şanlı, former Vatan columnist
154 Ulaş Sezgin, ETHA reporter
155 Ünal Tanık, Rota Haber editor-in-chief
156 Vahit Yazgan, İzmir Zaman bureau chief
157 Vedat Beki, Sözcü 18
158 Vedat Demir, former Yarına Bakış writer
159 Yakup Çetin, Zaman reporter
160 Yakup Şimşek, Zaman, marketing director
161 Yalçın Güler, TRT (Erzurum)
162 Yener Dönmez, Habervaktim news website
163 Yetkin Yıldız, Aktif Haber website editor
164 Yılmaz Kahraman, Özgür Halk editor
165 Yusuf Karataş, Evrensel columnist
166 Zafer Özsoy
167 Zehra Doğan, Jinha
168 Ziya Ataman, DİHA reporter