Media freedom in Turkey

A case into daily Özgür Gündem's editors-in-chief on duty continued on Nov. 24, with the case being postponed until Feb. 14, 2017, against a number of arrested and non-arrested journalists.
A total of 16 names are being tried on terror charges as part of an investigation into the closed daily.

A court in Istanbul has accepted the indictment prepared by the state prosecutor against Aslı Erdoğan and Nazmiye Alpay on charges of participation in a terrorist organisation, reported Hurriyet Daily News, cited by BTA.

An Istanbul court on Nov. 23 ordered the release of imprisoned novelist Aslı Erdoğan and linguist Necmiye Alpay, who were both arrested on terror charges as part of an investigation into closed daily Özgür Gündem, on one charge but ruled for the continuation of their arrest on another charge. 

Turkish novelist Aslı Erdoğan and linguist Necmiye Alpay were released on Nov. 23 after being arrested on terror charges as part of an investigation into columnists and managers of the closed daily Özgür Gündem.

The arrested editor-in-chief of daily Cumhuriyet, Murat Sabuncu, and Cumhuriyet columnist Kadri Gürsel have demanded the urgent preparation of any indictment against them as well as trial without arrest, a deputy from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has said.

The PEN International Office in Germany has given its Herman Kesten Award to the former editor-in-chief of daily Cumhuriyet, Can Dündar, and Cumhuriyet's Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gül. 

Sascha Feuchert, vice chairman of the PEN Germany Office, said "two brave fighters of freedom" were awarded a prize worth 10,000 euros in his speech at the Nov. 17 award ceremony.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has once again slammed foreign media outlets over what he described as "unprincipled behavior," in a speech delivered at the opening of TRT World, a new Turkish state-run TV channel broadcasting in English.

A member of Turkey's High Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSYK), who was allegedly involved in helping a follower of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullan Gülen remain in his seat, has been released with two colleagues after providing crucial information regarding the group.

The arrested CEO of daily Cumhuriyet has denied claims that the embattled newspaper has changed its publishing policy in recent years to ally with the Gülen movement and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 

Akın Atalay, who was arrested on Nov. 13 on "terror charges," said in his court testimony before arrest that the daily has editorial independence. 

The executive director of the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet Ak?n Atalay was arrested on Friday at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul after his return from Germany, reported BGNES.

Atalay was not in Turkey when police stormed the offices of the newspaper on October 31 and arrested 12 journalists, 9 of whom are now in prison in Istanbul.