Executives of Cumhuriyet newspaper accused of ‘sponsoring and supporting both PKK and FETÖ’

In the prosecutor’s statement on the operation against opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, executives 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’.

Prosecutor’s note also includes the following statement: ‘While 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.”

Launched at around 6 in the morning today (October 31), operation involves 15 executive members of the newspaper – who are also editors, authors, and columnists -. Murat Sabuncu, Aydın Engin, Hikmet Çetinkaya, Güray Öz ve Hakan Kara are currently under custody. The full list includes: Akın Atalay, Hikmet Çetinkaya, Can Dündar, Aydın Engin, Orhan Erinç, Turman Günay, Mustafa Kemal Güngör, Hakan Kara, Musa Kart, Güray Öz, Nebil Özgentürk, Müslüm Özışık, Murat Sabuncu,Eser Sevinç, and Bülent Utku.

Message from former chief editor Dündar: ‘They are attacking the last post’

Prominent author and former editor in chief of Cumhuriyet Can Dündar gave comments from his personal twitter account by sharing the front-page of Cumhuriyet for today, where the headline reads as ‘The coup is against the opposition!’ Saying it was ‘a perfect headline for the day’, Dündar stated: “They are attacking the last post.’

A delegation of CHP visits the office of Cumhuriyet

A delegation of CHP, including MPs Ali Şeker, Barış Yarkadaş, and Sezgin Tanrıkulu, came to the main office of the newspaper. The delegation sent a message emphasizing ‘Cumhuriyet has always stood against bigotry’ and that ‘these tough times will be overcome, as well.’

CHP Chair Kılıçdaroğu: ‘We are going to fight together’

In reaction to the operation against Cumhuriyet newspaper earlier this morning, CHP Chair Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu called the office of the newspaper and said: ‘We are going to fight together’. Kılıçdaroğlu will be in front of the office of Cumhuriyet in Ankara at 1pm today for support.

HDP Co-chair Demirtaş: ‘We are going to be in solidarity with Cumhuriyet’

HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş said the operation against Cumhuriyet is ‘one of the operations that are launched for the purpose of reaching the goal of dictatorship’ and added: “We are going to be in solidarity with Cumhuriyet newspaper. We are once again faced with another phase of oppressions coordinated by AKP headquarters in order for not even a single opposition force to remain.”

Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/cumhuriyet-e-yonelik-operasyonunun-gerekcesi-pkk-feto-133606.html