Four journalists have been arrested on charges of "membership in a terrorist organization," following police raids in İstanbul linked to an investigation based in the northeastern province of Artvin.
The arrests came after seven people, including six journalists, were detained during home raids on Jun 13. The detainees were later transferred to Artvin for questioning.
On Jun 16, journalists held in custody at the İstanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command were brought to court. After providing testimony to the prosecutor, four were referred to a criminal judgeship of peace with a request for formal arrest. Later that night, the court ordered the pre-trial detention of Ozan Cırık, a contributor to Sendika.org, along with journalists Dicle Baştürk, Yavuz Akengin, and Eylem Emel Yılmaz on terrorism-related charges.
Journalists Semra Pelek, Melisa Efe, and one other individual were released under judicial control.
The charges stem from allegations related to the journalists’ professional activities. According to testimony given on Jun 14, accusations focused on software services provided to news websites, payments received for articles, and phone communications.
The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) reported that journalists Semra Pelek, Ozan Cırık, and Dicle Baştürk were detained in raids on their homes in İstanbul and Bodrum. Eylem Emel Yılmaz and Melisa Efe, a translator for the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, were also detained as part of the same investigation.
MLSA reported that no official reason for the detentions had been made public and confirmed that its legal team was monitoring the process and providing support. “We will continue to follow developments and inform the public about violations of journalists' rights,” the association said. (HA/VK)
