Journalists in State of Emergency – 84

 Journalist and human rights defender Murat Çelikkan, who was given a one year and six months prison sentence in the trial where he was accused of terror-related charges for standing in as the editor-in-chief of the shuttered Özgür Gündem daily for one day as part of a solidarity campaign, was put in prison on August 14.
 
Çelikkan was tried on charges of “spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization” for participating in the solidarity campaign organized for Özgür Gündem. The verdict in his case was given on May 16, 2017. The court did not introduce any reductions to his sentence on the grounds that “the defendant’s attitude in the courtroom doesn’t indicate a sufficient level of regret on his part.” His defense statement can be found here.
 
This has made Çelikkan the first person to be imprisoned in the dozens of trials launched against individuals who acted as an editor-in-chief for a day for Özgür Gündem. There is a possibility that Çelikkan might get out on parole after 45 days in prison. If not, he will remain in prison for 13 months under relevant laws.
 
Fifty out of the 56 individuals who participated in the solidarity campaign with Özgür Gündem, which was closed down in October 2016 with an emergency decree, in the summer of 2016 were subject to investigations. Eleven of these investigations were dropped while court cases were started for 38.
 
First hearing in new “coup” trial of journalists
 
The first session of a new trial launched against 13 journalists, including Murat Aksoy and Atilla Taş, where they are charged with “attempting to overthrow the government” is scheduled to be held on August 16-17 at the Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court.
 
On March 31, 13 journalists who were on trial for “membership in a terrorist organization” in a case targeting the “media arm of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization,” the name given to the group allegedly behind the 15 July 2016 coup attempt in Turkey by authorities, were released in the first hearing of that trial. However, before any of them could get out of prison, new arrest warrants were issued for them as part of a new investigation on coup charges. The panel of judges and the prosecutor who were assigned to the court case where the defendants were released were also removed from duty.
 
Former Zaman journalist Ali Akkuş was released under judicial control measures, but the 12 journalists were jailed pending trial on new charges after two weeks in police custody.
 
The indictment into the 13 journalists which was prepared later in the case accuses the defendants of “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order,” and “attempting to overthrow the government of the Republic of Turkey,” demanding life in prison for all of them.
 
The indictment was submitted to the Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court, with the prosecutor requesting that it be merged with the trial where the defendants are accused of “membership in a terrorist organization.”
 
Three sessions have so far been held in that trial, where there are total of 29 suspects, most of whom are journalists.
 
Former news editor for FB TV detained by police
 
Yasir Kaya, a former news editor for Fenerbahçe TV, was taken into police custody as part of an investigation being conducted by the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office for using ByLock, an encrypted communications application which was allegedly used by members of the Fethullah Gülen network, on August 11.
 
Kaya was among the 35 journalists for whom arrest warrants were issued on August 10 on the grounds that they used the application. Nine of those on the list were detained in home raids on August 10.
 
News reports have said the nine journalists detained for using ByLock were BirGün daily’s internet editor Burak Ekici, former Zaman and Cihan news agency reporter Muhsin Pilgir, former İHA news agency news editor Ömer Faruk Aydemir, Sait Gürkan Tuzlu, managing editor for the shuttered Samanyolu Haber news station, Yusuf Duran, Ahmet Feyzullah Özyurt, former Türkiye newspaper columnist Ahmet Sağırlı and Mutlu Özay.
 
24 other journalists are now sought for arrest in the investigation. According to media reports from August 14, these individuals are Abdülkadir Gümüşsoy, Ahmet Doğan, Bedrettin Uğur, Yakup Üstün, Selim Sırrı Bayer, Mustafa Gürlek, Emrah Kamil Ülker, Ertuğrul Erbaş, Hüdaverdi Yıldırım, Hülya Tekin, İbrahim Yekebaş, İrfan Galip Dumlu, İsmail Muhammet Sağıroğlu, Levent Özkökeli, Mahir Etyemez, Mesut Ertanç, Murat Keskin, Mustafa Kılıç, Osman Çalık, Sedat Gülmez, Serdar Bal, Aysun Yazıcı Kurumahmut, Hasan Hüseyin Koç and Emrah Direk.
 
Dihaber journalists detained
 
On August 14, Dihaber journalists Deniz Nazlım and Aziz Oruç were detained by police. Nazlım was detained in a home raid in Ankara, while Oruç was detained by police outside the Dihaber office in Diyarbakır.
 
Nazlım was detained along with eight others, most of whom are executives in the People’s Democratic Party (HDP). The charges against him were not clear.
Similarly, there was no information on the reason for Oruç’s detention or where he was taken following his arrest.
 
Özgürlükçü Demokrasi employee detained
 
On August 14, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi employee Hamdullah Bayram was detained by police in a home raid in Şanlıurfa. Reports have said his detention was based on a tip-off from a source.
 
Public relations officer for Nilüfer Municipality arrested
 
Berhan Soner, the public relations officer of Bursa’s Nilüfer Municipality, was arrested on August 11 on charges of “spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization”
 
Soner was detained on August 10 for “propaganda for leftist terrorist organizations on a website he created” and “inciting the public to hostility.”
 
Soner, a former journalist, also served in the past as Chairman of the Bursa chapter of the Contemporary Journalists’ Association (ÇGD).
 
Dihaber reporter Altan released
 
Berivan Altan, a Dihaber reporter who was detained on August 10 in the southern province of Mersin on the basis of a tip-off that was sent to police, was released under judicial control measures by a court decision on August 11.
 
Özgürlükçü Demokrasi employees released
 
Two Özgürlükçü Demokrasi employees, Zinet Aşan and Cemile Çiftçi, who were detained on August 1, were released on judicial control measures on August 11.
 

List of journalists imprisoned 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       Bünyamin Köseli, Aksiyon magazine reporter
33       Cebrail Parıltı, Anadolu Ajansı (AA) Derik reporter
34       Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Journalists and Writers’ Foundation
35       Ceren Taşkın, Hatay'ın Sesi
36       Cihan Acar, Bugün reporter
37       Cuma Kaya, Zaman
38       Cuma Ulus, Millet newspaper’s publications coordinator
39       Deniz Yücel, Die Welt
40       Emin Demir, Freelancer
41       Emre Soncan, Zaman defense reporter
42       Ercan Gün, Fox TV
43       Erdal Süsem, Eylül magazine editor
44       Erdal Şen, former Meydan managing editor
45       Erdoğan Alayamut, Dihaber reporter
46       Erol Yüksel (TRT News Department vice president))
47       Erol Zavar, Odak magazine, owner and newsroom director
48       Fahrettin Kılıç, Özgür Toplum
49       Faruk Akkan, Cihan news agency
50       Ferhat Çiftçi, Azadiya Welat Gaziantep bureau chief
51       Fevzi Yazıcı
52       Furkan Gökşen, detailhaber.com editor-in-chief
53       Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Türksolu columnist
54       Gökmen Ulu, Sözcü
55       Gurbet Çakar, Hevi women’s magazine
56       Gültekin Avcı
57       Habip Güler, Zaman reporter
58       Hakan Aksel, TRT producer-director
59       Hakan Ergün, Azadiya Welat and Özgür Gündem distributor
60       Hakan Taşdelen
61       Halil İbrahim Mert, TRT (Erzurum)
62       Hamit Dilbahar, Azadiya Welat columnist
63       Hamza Günerigök, TRT
64       Hanım Büşra Erdal, Zaman reporter and columnist
65       Hasan Duman, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi distributor
66       Hatice Duman, Atılım newspaper’s owner and managing editor
67       Hayati Yıldız, Azadiya Welat
68       Hidayet Karaca, Samanyolu Media Group President
69       Hülya Karakaya, Özgür Halk Managing Editor
70       Hüseyin Aydın, Cihan reporter
71       Hüseyin Turan, Zaman columnist
72       İbrahim Balta, Zaman business editor
73       İbrahim Kareyeğen, responsible editor for Zaman
74       İdris Okur, Cihan New Agency Çorum reporter
75       İdris Sayılgan, DİHA
76       İlker İlkan, Azadiya Welat
77       İnan Kızılkaya, Özgür Gündem Newsroom Editor
78       İsmail Avcı, Zaman
79       İsmail Efe, local press advisor in İzmir
80       Kadri Gürsel, Editorial Advisor
81       Kamuran Sunbat, DİHA Çukurova reporter (formerly)
82       Kemal Sancılı, Özgür Gündem copyrights holder
83       Kenan Karavil, Radyo Dünya editor-in-chief
84       Lokman Erdoğan, Çorum Manşet, owner
85       Loup Bureau, freelancer
86       Mahir Kanaat, BirGün, head of accountingn
87       Mediha Olgun, Sözcü
88       Mehmet Altan
89       Mehmet Baransu, Taraf columnist/reporter
90       Mehmet Çakmakçı, Medyascope.tv reporter
91       Mehmet Dener, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief
92       Mehmet Güleş, DİHA
93       Mehmet Kuru, Zaman Eskişehir reporter
94       Mehmet Özdemir, Zaman columnist
95       Meltem Oktay, DİHA reporter
96       Meşale Tolu, ETHA translater
97       Mikail Barut, Özgür Halk former editor
98       Miktat Algül, Mezitli FM General Publications Coordinator
99       Mizgin Çay – Radyo Karacadağ
100     Muhammet Taşçılar, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief
101     Murat Aksoy,former Yeni Şafak columnist
102     Murat Avcıoğlu, Zaman
103     Murat Çapan,
104     Murat Çelikkan (Özgür Gündem solidarity trial)
105     Murat Dağdeviren (Demokrat Gebze owner)
106     Murat Güreş, Gaziantep Güncel Editor-in-Chief
107     Murat Sabuncu, Editor-in- Chief
108     Mustafa Erkan Acar, Bugün news editor,
109     Mustafa Gök, Ankara bureau chief for Ekmek ve Adalet magazine
110     Mustafa Ünal, Zaman
111     Mutlu Çölgeçen, Millet, newsroom coordinator
112     Mümtazer Türköne, Zaman columnist
113     Nadir Yücel, Çorum Yıldız (local) Editor-in-Chief
114     Nedim Türfent,DİHA
115     Nizamettin İzgi (Batman Newspaper’s owner)
116     Nur Ener, Yeni Asya
117     Nuri Durna, TRT
118     Nuri Yeşil, Azadiya Welat Dersim bureau chief
119     Nurullah Kaya, G.antep Zaman representative
120     Oğuz Usluer, Habertürk former broadcasts coordinator
121     Osman Yakut, Zaman Antalya
122     Ömer Çelik, DİHA news manager
123     Ömer Oruç, Cihan newspaper
124     Ömer Özdemir, Antalya eski Zaman muhabiri
125     Özcan Keser (TRT reporter)
126     Özkan Erdoğan, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi
127     Rabia Özkaya, Özgür Halk
128     Ramazan Alkan, Yeni Akit reporter
129     Resul Cengiz, Denizli reporter with Zaman
130     Sadık Demir – Radyo Karacadağ
131     Salih Erbekler – Radyo Karacadağ
132     Sami Tunca, Mücadele Birliği magazine Managing Editor
133     Selman Keleş, DİHA
134     Serhat Şeftali, Zaman regional bureau chief for the Med region
135     Serkan Aydemir, Bitlis Aktüel reporter
136     Serkan Erdoğan, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi
137     Seyid Kılıç, TRT News
138     Seyithan Akyüz, Azadiya Welat Adana bureau chief
139     Sezgin Kartal, Sosyalist Dayanımşa magazine
140     Şahabettin Demir, DİHA reporter
141     Şahin Alpay, Zaman columnist
142     Şeref Yılmaz, Irmak TV
143     Şerife Oruç, DİHA reporter
144     Şirin Çoban, Azadiya Welat
145     Tahsin Kürklü, Zaman – head of Logistics Department
146     Togay Okay, Özgür Gelecek
147     Tunca Öğreten, former Diken editor
148     Tuncer Çetinkaya, Zaman Antalya
149     Ufuk Şanlı, former Vatan columnist
150     Ulaş Sezgin, ETHA reporter
151     Ünal Tanık, Rota Haber editor-in-chief
152     Vahit Yazgan, İzmir Zaman bureau chief
153     Vedat Beki, Sözcü 18
154     Vedat Demir, former Yarına Bakış writer
155     Yakup Çetin, Zaman reporter
156     Yakup Şimşek, Zaman, marketing director
157     Yalçın Güler, TRT (Erzurum)
158     Yener Dönmez, Habervaktim news website
159     Yetkin Yıldız, Aktif Haber website editor
160     Yılmaz Kahraman, Özgür Halk editor
161     Yusuf Karataş, Evrensel columnist
162     Zafer Özsoy
163     Zehra Doğan, Jinha
164     Ziya Ataman, DİHA reporter
 
For full lists of journalists in prison, the outlets shut down under State of Emergency as well as lists of associatons and foundations shuttered under caibnet decreese, click here.

Tags: Aziz Oruç, Berhan Soner, Cemile Çiftçi, Deniz Nazlım, Hamdullah Bayram, Murat Çelikkan, Yasir Kaya, Zinet Aşan