Turkey detains journalist over links to Gulen movement

Arrest comes after a court in Istanbul issued warrants for four journalists at Sozcu daily newspaper.

Operation on opposition Sozcu newspaper in Turkey
At least 145 media workers are behind bars in Turkey, which ranks 155 out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index [EPA]

An Istanbul court on Friday issued arrest warrants for four journalists at a daily newspaper over alleged links to the Gulen movement, a judicial source told the state-run Anadolu news agency.

The Sozcu newspaper’s website manager, Mediha Olgun, was arrested by police following the warrant, which was issued as part of a probe into the group’s media links, according to the source who spoke to the news agency on condition of anonymity owing to restrictions on talking to the media.

The newspaper’s owner, Burak Akbay, could not be arrested as he is currently abroad, the source said, adding that the suspects are accused of committing crimes on behalf of the group, even though they are not members of the movement.

There is no information on whether the remaining two suspects, who have not been identified, have been arrested or not.

Ankara accuses the group and its US-based leader Fetullah Gulen of orchestrating the July 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkey, which left 249 people killed and nearly 2,200 injured.

Several media outlets have been closed in the past year by decrees issued under the ongoing state of emergency.

Source: News Agencies