Turkish police launched a series of arrests of senior media figures yesterday, including the editor of the country's biggest-selling daily newspaper, as a purge of opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gathered pace (AP Photo/Kayhan Ozer) Ekrem Dumanli, editor-in-chief of Zaman newspaper, salutes cheering supporters as he is detained outside his office in Istanbul, Turkey. Police conducted raids in a dozen Turkish cities Sunday, detaining at least 24 people; including journalists, TV producers and police known to be close to a movement led by a U.S.-based moderate Islamic cleric who is a strong critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. It was the latest crackdown on cleric Fethullah Gulen's movement, which the government has accused of orchestrating an alleged plot to try to bring it down (AP Photo) Zaman editor-in-chief Ekrem Dumanli, surrounded by his colleagues (REUTERS/Yagiz Karahan) Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his wife Emine wave to supporters after his arrival in Ankara, Turkey, June 2013 (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)
Turkish police launched a series of arrests of senior media figures yesterday, including the editor of the country's biggest-selling daily newspaper, as a purge of opponents of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gathered pace.
The arrest of Ekrem Dumanli, editor-in-chief of Zaman, was broadcast live on television.
Among the others seized were a soap opera scriptwriter, the head of a company which owns a major television channel, and senior policemen.
The arrests followed a long campaign against affiliates of an exiled Turkish religious leader, Fetullah Gulen, who lives in the United States but whose movement, known as Hizmet, used to run schools across the country and still has widespread support.
Until the two men fell out, Mr Gulen was an ally of Mr Erdogan, who was prime minister for 10 years before being elected president this year.
The arrests represented a major embarrassment to the West and the United States. Turkey remains a member of Nato, and is a key intermediary on Middle East policy, particularly on Syria, whose Assad regime Mr Erdogan fiercely opposes.
The European Union, which is considering Turkey's application to become a member, condemned the actions in an unusually strongly worded statement last night.
'The police raids and arrests of a number of journalists and media representatives in Turkey today are incompatible with the freedom of media, which is a core principle of democracy,' said Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy chief, and Johannes Hahn, the enlargement commissioner, in a joint statement.
'This operation goes against the European values and standards Turkey aspires to be part of,' they added.
Since Mr Erdogan rose to power, Turkey has become the biggest jailer of journalists in the world, according to freedom-of-speech groups. He has also pushed an increasingly Islamist agenda.
A year ago, a major corruption probe against Mr Erdogan's son and a number of his ministers triggered a backlash from the authorities, who claimed it was orchestrated by Hizmet followers in the police and the judiciary.
The latest arrests were widely predicted on social media, and a crowd had gathered around the offices of Zaman in Istanbul as the police moved in. At first they prevented the police from entering, but later officers returned and led Mr Dumanli away. As he went, he said: 'Let those who have committed a crime be scared. We are not scared.'
The television scriptwriter, along with several producers who were also arrested, were said to have worked on soap operas set in the Kurdish region of Turkey and based on an anti-terrorism squad.
On Friday, Mr Erdogan warned that he would follow supporters of Mr Gulen, whom he accuses of running a parallel state, 'into their lairs'.
(© Daily Telegraph London)
Irish Independent
Follow @Independent_ie Entities 0 Name: Turkey Count: 8 1 Name: Erdogan Count: 5 2 Name: Tayyip Erdogan Count: 4 3 Name: Ekrem Dumanli Count: 3 4 Name: Zaman Count: 3 5 Name: Istanbul Count: 2 6 Name: Gulen Count: 2 7 Name: United States Count: 2 8 Name: AP Count: 2 9 Name: Turkish Count: 1 10 Name: AP Photo Count: 1 11 Name: Johannes Hahn Count: 1 12 Name: Middle East Count: 1 13 Name: Ozer Count: 1 14 Name: Fetullah Gulen Count: 1 15 Name: Ankara Count: 1 16 Name: Assad Count: 1 17 Name: EU Count: 1 18 Name: Syria Count: 1 19 Name: European Union Count: 1 20 Name: Emine Count: 1 21 Name: Federica Mogherini Count: 1 22 Name: Ghirda Count: 1 23 Name: Dumanli Count: 1 24 Name: Daily Telegraph London Count: 1 25 Name: Fethullah Gulen Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/16maJw5 Title: 24 detained as Turkish police raid opposition media organizations Description: Turkish police have raided opposition media organizations and detained 24 people - including journalists, executives, and ex-police chiefs - as President Erdogan continues his campaign to muzzle political opponents.
