Journalists Can Dündar, Erdem Gül Arrested

Cumhuriyet daily Chief Editor Can Dündar and newspaper’s Ankara Representative Erdem Gül have been arrested over news and images they displayed as to MİT (National Intelligence Agency) trucks.

Dündar and Gül have been accused of “Procuring information as to state security”, “Political and military espionage”, “Declaring confidential information”, “Propagandizing terror organization”.  

Dündar and Gül went to İstanbul Courthouse upon İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office’s request at 10:45 a.m. within the scope of the prosecution that has been launched 5.5 months ago.

Many people including People’s Republican Party (CHP) deputies Mahmut Tanal, Enis Berberoğlu, Barış Yarkadaş, Sezgin Tanrıkulu, Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) Secretary General Arzu Çerkezoğlu, and a large number of their colleagues have given support.

What had happened?

Prosecution was started as to the article published with the headline “Here are the weapons Erdoğan claim to not exist” on May 29 over “Procuring information as to state security”, “Political and military espionage”, “Declaring confidential information”, “Propagandizing terror organization”.  

Chief Public Prosecutor Hadi Salihoğlu had declared the prosecution by press release.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had personally filed a criminal complaint and requested Dündar to be sentenced to one aggravated life imprisonment, one life imprisonment and 42 years in prison for “targeting state interests by using images contrary to facts”. 

Erdoğan on a live broadcast on TRT had said, "I guess the person who made this special news will heavily pay for it". (EKN/TK)

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