Turkiye detains three journalists over Istanbul prosecutor story

ISTANBUL: Three journalists from the left-leaning BirGun newspaper were detained for several hours under anti-terror legislation over a story linked to Istanbul´s chief prosecutor, the paper said on Sunday.

The move was denounced by media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Turkiye´s main opposition CHP party. Journalists Ugur Koc and Berkant Gultekin, who work for the online BirGun.net, and its managing editor Yasar Gokdemir were taken from their homes late on Saturday for “targeting individuals engaged in counterterrorism efforts”, BirGun editor-in-chief Ibrahim Varli wrote on X.

He said it was over a story about a journalist from the pro-government Sabah newspaper visiting Istanbul´s chief prosecutor Akin Gurlek, which “had already been announced by (Sabah) itself”. Varli accused authorities of “trying to intimidate the press and society with investigations and detentions”.

The trio were released after appearing in court in Istanbul on Sunday. They were not formally arrested. About 100 protesters gathered outside the court, holding up copies of the paper and signs saying: “BirGun will not be silent” and “Journalism is not a crime”, an AFP correspondent said. Three hundred people demonstrated in Ankara.