58 employees fired from opposition media outlet in Istanbul

More than 50 employees of several opposition media outlets that were recently placed under the management of a trustee panel have been relieved of their duties, daily Hürriyet has reported.

Fifty-eight employees working at dailies Bugün, Millet and private broadcasters Bugün TV and Kanaltürk, which are owned by the Koza ?pek Media Group, were forced to take mandatory leave from work following a police raid against the group's headquarters in late October. When they attempted to return on Nov. 3, however, they were not permitted into the media group's office building in Istanbul's ?i?li district.

The 58 people, whose time on mandatory leave ended on Nov. 3, were told their job contract had been terminated after they tried to enter the building, but failed to do so due to a police blockade.

Police officers demanded that employees show their identity cards at the entrance to the media group's building before forcing them to sign documents that terminated their contracts.

The employees had to remove their possessions with a large escort of police officers.

Meanwhile, lawyers for Ak?n ?pek, the CEO of the Koza ?pek Group, have appealed against the court ruling, which placed the media group under the management of a trustee panel. 

Hakan Y?ld?z, one of ?pek's lawyers, said they had appealed against the decisions by the caretakers, who were appointed to the Koza ?pek group and the firms beneath it, including a media outlet.

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office on Oct. 26 ordered the Koza-?pek Group to be placed under the management of a trustee panel while an investigation continues into the group's purported ties to U.S.-based scholar Fethullah Gülen, a former government ally who is currently wanted for ...