Comments of Cumhuriyet executives and columnists on the operation
Coup of the Presidential Palace has now been extended to Cumhuriyet newspaper. While the executives and journalists of the newspaper have been taken into custody, it has also been revealed that a confidentiality order had been issued over the investigations one day prior to the operation.
Having shut down 169 media outlets since declaring a state of emergency in the country following the July 15 coup attempt, AKP government continues its operations against media sources in opposition nonstop. The latest of these operations is the one against one of Turkey’s oldest newspapers, Cumhuriyet.
Cumhuriyet has become the target of the AKP government since its news piece on ‘MİT (Turkish National Intelligence) trucks’. As of yesterday, decision for the arrest of 18 people from Cumhuriyet newspaper – its executives, columnists, advisory board members – was put in force. Though names of Kadri Gürsel – advisor and columnist – and accounting director Günseli Özaltay were not listed in the early morning hours, they were also informed in the afternoon about their names being included.
Comments from Cumhuriyet executives and columnists
Kadri Gürsel said from his personal Twitter account: “So, there is a warrant for my arrest. They’re searching my house now; I’m going to my house. I believe that there is more to the operation on Cumhuriyet.”
Former editor in chief Can Dündar also shared his comments from Twitter, saying: “They are attacking the last remaining post.”
Cartoonist Musa Kart gave statements in front of the newspaper’s İstanbul office before reporting to the police department. Kart said: “For years, I have tried to reflect what we’ve been going through in this country through my cartoons. But believe me; I am now living in a cartoon myself! The moment a cartoonist gets arrested, that means the presidential system (in Turkey) has been officially declared!”
While being taken by the police for a health examination before going to the police department, columnist Aydın Engin was asked by journalists about ‘why he was getting arrested’. Engin replied: “I am not saying anything; it’s because I work in Cumhuriyet newspaper. I work in Cumhuriyet, isn’t that enough (to be arrested)?”
Message of Cumhuriyet: ‘We are not going to give in to any kind of oppression’
Emphasizing that ‘they are not going to give in to oppression’, the license holder of Cumhuriyet Foundation Orhan Erinç gave the following public statement on behalf of the newspaper: “Cumhuriyet is a newspaper and journalism is not a crime! Since its establishment in 7 May 1924, Cumhuriyet has truly given all effort for a real democracy to be established in our country and has never stood as a news source of a particular government or a political party. It is a newspaper that follows the path of englightnment brought forth to the country with the founding of the Republic and Atatürk’s reforms and principles. Aspiring to enable reason to be free from bigotry and science to be free from religion, it gives effort for secularism to be embraced by the society. This is the truth.
Cumhuriyet newspaper has never compromised its fundamental journalism principles in order for the protection of the secular, democratic, and lawful State and human rights. It is a newspaper that is as old as the Republic of Turkey. It gets its strength from its readers. It continues and will continue to be published with a belief in journalism that is never going to be seized by any power. We see it as a disgrace to respond to these accusations…And, we are quite shocked and worried that an investigation has been started against us in connection to FETÖ and KCK…We see this operation that is for now launched against the executives of the Foundation and the Board as the beginning of the attempt to shut down the newspaper…Operations and attempts to silence Cumhuriyet newspaper must be stopped immediately. We condemn these efforts! …Just as it could never be seized by any power during none of the coups in the past, and, just as it fought against the unlawful approaches of the judges and prosecutors that were under the command of Gülen, Cumhuriyet is always going to have the strength to struggle against any kind of oppression regardless of its source. We believe that our fight will continue with the support and solidarity of our readers…We extend our appreciation and thanks to all in support…”
Alleged to ‘have committed crimes on behalf of terrorist organizations’
According to the written statement of the İstanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office about the operation, the executives and columnists of the newspaper are accused of ‘being a sponsor of PKK/KCK and FETÖ/PYD’ in reference to ‘some of their news releases’ prior to the July 15 coup attempt which ‘are found to be legitimizing the coup’. While ‘they were not found to be members of the PKK/KCK and FETÖ/PYD terrorist organizations, investigations on the suspects were launched on 8 August 2016 on claims of their crimes on behalf of these organizations.’
Prohibition on seeing lawyers and confidentiality order over the investigations
Those who have already been taken into custody in scope of the operation will not be permitted to see or talk with their lawyers for the next 5 days in custody. Furthermore, a confidentially order has been announced by the officials in regards to the investigations and the operation. The fact that the issue date of the confidentiality order was on 30 October 2016 – one day before the operation actually was launched – caught attention.
Coverage on mainstream media
Pro-AKP newspaper Sabah’s early announcement of the operation against Cumhuriyet reminded of the similar incidents witnessed during the Ergenekon and KCK cases when media sources known to be in affinity with Gülen community at that time used to broadcast and publish news pieces on decisions before even they were actually officially released or enforced.
Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/cumhuriyet-e-saray-darbesi-133732.html
