Imam's Army

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) is prepared for a snap election if the government makes a move to bring the presidential elections to be held in 2019 to an earlier date, said CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, while adding that "everything is possible."

Journalist Ahmet Şık slammed measures taken in the wake of the last year's failed coup attempt in his first testimony in the case of daily Cumhuriyet journalists and executives on July 26 in which they are being indicted on terror charges.

Imprisoned Turkish journalist Ahmet Şık has applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) demanding his immediate release, citing a court ruling from three years ago that his rights had been violated, daily Cumhuriyet reported on May 10.

Amnesty International's branch in The Netherlands has projected the names of jailed Turkish journalists onto the Turkish embassy building in The Hague, in a move to mark May 3 International Press Freedom Day.

The names of daily Birgün journalist Mahir Kanaat and Ahmet Şık from daily Cumhuriyet were projected, along with a statement demanding their release, at around 10 p.m. on May 2.

The indictment into daily Cumhuriyet columnists and executives was completed on April 4, nearly five months after the investigation was launched, with the prosecutor seeking jail sentences for all 19 suspects.
 
The former editor-in-chief of the daily, Can Dündar, was named as the prime suspect in the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. 

A total of 13 suspects including journalists and writers appeared before a judge in the ninth hearing of the OdaTV case on Feb. 15, charged with membership of the "Ergenekon" organization. 

The controversial case was initially pursued by prosecutors with links to the Gülen movement, an ally turned enemy of the government. 

The lawyer of arrested Turkish journalist Ahmet Şık said on Dec. 31 that his team will appeal against a court decision to arrest him.

As I sat down to write, I was still struggling to come to terms with the detention of my colleague Ahmet Şık by Turkish police without any explanation. He was denied his right to speak to his lawyer.

Police detained prominent Turkish journalist Ahmet Şık in Istanbul on Dec. 29 as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office.

Şık was transferred to police headquarters ahead of his referral to court.

Şık also confirmed his detention on his Twitter account.

Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Can Dündar and Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gül, who were arrested on Nov. 26 for their report on weapons-filled Turkish intelligence trucks bound for Syria in early 2014, have applied to the Constitutional Court for release.