Turkish journalists stand trial on terrorism charges
Human rights group claim case is attempt to crack down on press freedom
More than a dozen journalists from Turkey's leading secular newspaper are on trial in Istanbul charged with aiding a terrorist organisation.
They are accused of having links to Fethullah Gulen, the cleric who has been accused of orchestrating last year's failed coup, as well as the Kurdistan workers party the PKK.
However, human rights groups argue the trial is politically motivated and part of a wider assault on press freedom by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's AKP.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Columnist Kadri Gursel told the court yesterday: "I am not here because I knowingly and willingly helped a terrorist organisation, but because I am an independent, questioning and critical journalist."
He and his 16 colleagues - reporters, cartoonists and editors from the Cumhuriyet newspaper - face between seven and 43 years in prison if found guilty.
The trial has become "a symbol of the collapse of press freedom" in Turkey, the Daily Telegraph reports.
Johahn Bihr, of Reporters Without Borders, told CNN: "Cumhuriyet newspaper is one of the few remaining independent media outlets. That's why they are on trial."
Turkey's jails currently hold more than 150 journalists, most on terror-related charges.
However, President Erdogan told the BBC there were only two journalists behind bars. "The rest are either terrorists, or they were carrying guns, or they robbed ATM machines," he said.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Sri Lanka's new Marxist leader wins huge majority
Speed Read The left-leaning coalition of newly elected Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake won 159 of the legislature's 225 seats
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
DOJ demands changes at 'abhorrent' Atlanta jail
Speed Read Georgia's Fulton County Jail subjects inmates to 'unconstitutional' conditions, the 16-month investigation found
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden arrives in Peru for final summits
Speed Read President Joe Biden will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, visit the Amazon rainforest and attend two major international summits
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published