Four Oda TV writers in Custody after "Ergenekon" Raid

The building of OdaTV.com in Beyoğlu (Istanbul) was searched by the police on Monday (14 February). The police also raided the home of four writers of the news portal that is run by journalist Soner Yalçın.

Oda TV writers Soner Yalçın, Barış Terkoğlu, Ayhan Bozkurt and Barış Pehlivan were taken into police custody. Their homes were searched in the scope of the investigation.

Serkan Günel, lawyer of Oda TV News Director Teroğlu, announced, "They gathered in the living room and started the search with the book shelves. They showed me a search warrant. Barış Terkoğlu was at home together with his wife. He stands accused of membership of the Ergenekon organization and of inciting the public to hatred and hostility in that context".

It was reported that journalist Yalçın's friends came to his house in Levent (Istanbul), namely journalists Hakan Aygün and Oray Eğin and Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul MP Çetin Soysal.

TGC: Intolerance against journalists reached grave state

The Turkish Journalists Association (TGC) declared, "Democracy is the art of tolerance. Intolerance against journalists who try to fulfil their duty to the public benefit has reached a grave state".

Press Council: Intolerance against dissident publications

The Secretary General of the Press Council, Ersu Oktay Huduti, said in a statement, "Freedom of communication and press freedom are the indispensible building stones of democracy. This seems to be the continuation of the existing intolerance against dissident publications in our country which we find worrisome".

Also Atilla Sertel, Chair of the Turkish Journalists Federation, President of the Izmir Journalists Association and current Head of the Freedom for Journalists Platform, criticized the incidents. He said that the confidentiality of a journalist's source was guaranteed by law. Sertel criticized the raids, the seizure of computers and the violation of secrecy regarding the news sources and the blotting out of private life.

According to CHP Deputy Chair Gürsel Tekin, it seems that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) cannot even put up with internet sites anymore. "Our people feel this pressure already", he said.

Video of police training related to Ergenekon

The operation was allegedly carried out because of footage of a training that was given two days prior to the search at the Zir Valley in the scope of the Ergenekon investigation.

Together with the images it was said on the site, "The police officers appointed to Ergenekon were trained by Americans". (EÇ/EÖ/VK)