Turkish journalists sentenced to jail on terrorism charges

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A Turkish court on Wednesday sentenced 14 staff of the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper to prison on terrorism charges, in a case that has sparked global outrage over press freedom under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Lawyer Ozden Ozdemir told Reuters that the 14 were handed sentences ranging from 2.5 to 7.5 years. Three others were acquitted, while another defendant in the case, who was not employed by the paper and had been charged for his activities on Twitter, got 10 years, Ozdemir said.

The staff of the newspaper – which has been fiercely critical of Erdogan – were charged with supporting the network of Fethullah Gulen, the Muslim cleric Ankara holds responsible for a failed 2016 coup attempt and "aiding and abetting terror organizations without being a member."

A photo taken on April 19, 2018, shows the front page of Turkey's opposition daily newspaper Cumhuriyet at a newsstand in Istanbul, Turkey. /VCG Photo

They have denied the charges.

All 14 staff have now been released pending appeal, Ozdemir said. The other defendant was detained.

The case is one of several high-profile trials seen as emblematic of the broader crackdown since Erdogan announced a state of emergency following the attempted coup.

Among those convicted are some of the biggest names in Turkish journalism, including investigative reporter Ahmet Sik.

Prosecutors had sought sentences of up to 43 years in jail for the Cumhuriyet staff.

Cumhuriyet chairman Akin Atalay hugs his friends after being released from Silivri prison, outside of Istanbul, Turkey, April 26, 2018. /VCG Photo

They charged the newspaper was effectively taken over by supporters of Gulen, particularly after 2013 under former editor-in-chief Can Dundar, who is now being tried separately.

The newspaper staff has said they are being targeted as part of a move to silence criticism of Erdogan.

Around 150 media outlets have been shut down, and 160 journalists have been jailed, the Turkish Journalists Association says.

Turkey ranked 157 out of 180 countries listed in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on Wednesday, dropping two places.

"This was absolutely not a lawful verdict. In the end, it is a political case," Ozdemir said Wednesday.

Editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu, who received the longest sentence of seven years and six months, told AFP after the verdict: "No penalty can stop us from doing journalism. If needed, we will go to prison again, but we will continue to do journalism."

"As we always say they cannot intimidate Cumhuriyet newspaper, which will continue to tell the truth to its readers," Cumhuriyet chairman Akin Atalay told reporters after his release.

(Top picture: Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu (L) and Turkish journalist Ahmet Sik (C), surrounded by colleagues, hold placards reading 'Happy Birthday' for paper's jailed chairman Akin Atalay on March 10, 2018, in Istanbul. /VCG Photo)

Source(s): AFP ,Reuters