Ahmet Şık

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has decided to prioritize the case of the jailed journalists and executives of Turkish daily newspaper Cumhuriyet, stating that it will investigate the case "as soon as possible."

Previously, the court had made the same decision about jailed Turkish journalists Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan, Atilla Taş and Murat Aksoy.

An Istanbul court on April 12 ordered the acquittal of 13 suspects, including journalists and writers, charged with membership of the Ergenekon organization in the OdaTV case. 

The ruling comes six years after the opening of the case, widely thought to have been the work of prosecutors linked to U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen.

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. 

Jailed journalist Kadri Gürsel did nothing wrong; he did not steal and did not kill. He is as pure as can be. He is only but only a journalist, but he is in jail under arrest. Just like other journalistic colleagues of his, he does not know what he is accused of because there is no indictment. 

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. 

Famous Hürriyet caricaturist Latif Demirci was awarded with the best caricature award by the Progressive Journalists Association (ÇGD) for his work "Chequered Judge" during an award ceremony on Feb. 13.

A solidarity award was given to journalist Ahmet Şık, who was arrested at the end of December 2016, on behalf of all imprisoned journalists. 

Prominent journalist Ahmet Şık has been kept in isolation in prison, according to his lawyer who recently visited him. 

Şık, who was arrested on Dec. 30, 2016, over several tweets and his articles for daily Cumhuriyet, was denied drinking water for three days and has not had access to the news, daily Cumhuriyet reported Jan. 6. 

Turkey detained a staff journalist for The Wall Street Journal for almost three days without access to a lawyer, the newspaper reported on Dec. 31, adding to growing concerns over press freedom in the country.

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

The difference in Turkey between life in jail and life outside are gradually decreasing, one of the country's most prominent novelists said upon her release, after being held in prison for 132 days.