According to a story by independent journalism organization Platform 24 (P24) the total number of journalists who are imprisoned in Turkey reached 130 on Oct. 18 after the owner and two employees of Radyo Karacadağ, a Kurdish radio station shut down by government decree on Sept. 30, were placed under arrest.
Platform 24 published the following story on Wednesday regarding the most recent status of media in Turkey on its website.
Sadık Demir, president of Fırat Press Inc., the company that owns Radio Karacadağ, and two former employees of the station, Mizgin Çay and Salih Erbekler, were arrested on charges of “terrorist propaganda” based on a program aired by the station.
The 130 people in prison include those charged and arrested and several others who have been convicted for their journalistic activities. It does not include people who are being held in police custody with no charges, nor does it include those individuals who might have been arrested under the state of emergency without the news of their arrest being published in the media.
Turkey declared a state of emergency on July 20 to facilitate an investigation into a failed coup on July 15. Ninety-nine journalists have been arrested since then. According to data from Gazete Karınca, nearly 2,500 journalists lost their jobs, 660 press cards were canceled, 45 newspapers, 15 magazines, 18 TV stations, 23 radio stations, 29 publishing houses and three news agencies were shut down in the same period.
One journalist acquitted in presidential insult case
Journalist Barış Pehlivan was acquitted on July 18 in a trial where he was accused of having insulted Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Although Erdoğan’s lawyers had petitioned the court saying they had withdrawn their initial complaint — something Erdoğan did after July 15 in hundreds of insult cases he was pursuing — the court in its reasoned opinion stated that Pehlivan was acquitted “because the offense he is accused of is not criminalized by the law.”
Journalists arrested under the state of emergency as part of coup investigations Abdullah Kılıç, Meydan columnist
Abdullah Özyurt, Zaman newspaper reporter
Ahmet Altan
Ahmet Memiş, journalist, Haberdar news site
Ahmet Metin Sekizkardeş, Zaman newspaper
Ahmet Turan Alkan, Zaman columnist
Ahmet Yavaş, TRT (Erzurum)
Alaattin Güner, Cihan news agency media director
Alaattin Kaya, formerly owned rights to Zaman
Ali Akkuş, Zaman, general publications editor
Ali Bulaç, Zaman newspaper columnist
Ali Ünal, Zaman columnist
Atilla Taş, Meydan newspaper columnist
Ayşe Nazlı Ilıcak, Yarına Bakış
Ayşenur Parıldak, Zaman
Aytekin Gezici, journalist
Aziz İstegün, Diyarbakır Zaman regional representative
Bayram Kaya, Zaman reporter
Bayram Parlak, Radyo Cihan (Diyarbakır)
Bünyamin Köseli, Aksiyon magazine reporter
Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Journalists and Writers Foundation
Cihan Acar, Bugün reporter
Cihat Ünal, Antalya Zaman reporter
Cuma Kaya, Zaman newspaper
Cuma Ulus, Millet newspaper publications coordinator
Cumali Önal, Zaman, in charge of Arabic editions
Eda Şanlı, Antalya newspaper owner, Bizim Antalya columnist
Emre Soncan, Zaman defense reporter
Ercan Gün, Fox TV News editor
Erdal Şen, Meydan newspaper managing editor
Faruk Akkan, Cihan news agency journalist
Fevzi Yazıcı, Zaman newspaper
Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Türksolu columnist
Gültekin Avcı
Habip Güler, Zaman reporter
Hakan Taşdelen
Halil İbrahim Mert, TRT (Erzurum)
Hanım Büşra Erdal, Zaman reporter and columnist
Haşim Söylemez, Aksiyon magazine columnist
Hüseyin Aydın, Cihan reporter
Hüseyin Turan, Zaman columnist
İbrahim Balta, Zaman business news editor
ibrahim Kareyeğen, Zaman managing editor
İsa Siyi, Haberdar news site
Kenan Baş, Antalya Zaman reporter
Lalezar Sarıibrahimoğlu (Lale Kemal), Zaman columnist
Lokman Erdoğan, Çorum Manşet (Antalya) owner and columnist
Mehmet Altan
Mehmet Kuru, Zaman Eskişehir reporter
Mehmet Özdemir, Zaman
Murat Aksoy, Yeni Şafak columnist
Murat Avcıoğlu, Zaman
Murat Öztürk, Çorum Manşet (Antalya) managing editor
Mustafa Erkan Acar, Bugün news manager
Mustafa Ünal, Ankara Zaman bureau chief
Mutlu Çölgeçen, Millet newsroom coordinator
Mümtazer Türköne, Zaman columnist
Nuri Durna, TRT
Nuriye Ural (Akman), Zaman columnist
Nurullah Kaya, Gaziantep Zaman regional representative
Olgun Matur, Antalya journalist
Osman Yakut, Zaman Antalya
Özkan Mayda, Zaman Antalya reporter
Ramazan Alkan, Yeni Akit reporter
Resul Cengiz, Eski Zaman Denizli reporter
Seyid Kılıç, TRT Haber
Şahin Alpay, Zaman columnist
Şeref Yılmaz, Irmak TV
Tuncer Çetinkaya, Zaman Antalya regional representative
Ufuk Şanlı, columnist for Vatan newspaper
Vahit Yazgan, İzmir Zaman regional representative
Vedat Demir, Yarına Bakış columnist
Yakup Çetin, Zaman reporter
Yakup Şimşek, Zaman marketing manager
Yalçın Güler, TRT (Erzurum)
Yener Dönmez, Habervaktim news site
Zafer Özsoy
Journalists taken into custody as part of coup probe under the state of emergency
Abdullah Alparslan Akkuş, former NTV news editor, released after questioning by prosecutor
Arda Akın, Hürriyet reporter, released by court after objection to arrest ruling
Ayhan Şimşek, released on probation
Bülent Mumay, former Hürriyet digital publications coordinator, released after court arraignment
Dinçer Gökçe, Hürriyet Internet editor, released on probation
Hakan Bülent Yardımcı, released on probation
Hilmi Yavuz, Zaman columnist, released due to poor health, scheduled to testify later in investigation
İhsan Duran Dağı, Zaman columnist, released after questioning by prosecutor
İskender Yunus Tiryaki, Bugün reporter, released on probation
Levent Arap, Postmedya.com site executive, released on probation
Mehmet Gündem, former Milliyet columnist, released after arraignment
Nurullah Öztürk, former Yeni Şafak general coordinator and Zaman columnist, released after questioning by prosecutor
Osman Nuri Arslan, FİA finance company partner, released on probation
Osman Nuri Öztürk, released on probation
Ömer Şahin, Meydan newspaper’s former Ankara bureau chief, released after questioning by prosecutor
Rasih Yılmaz, Samanyoluhaber columnist, released after questioning by prosecutor
Rıfat Söylemez, Adana Haber, released after arraignment
Taner Talaş, Adana Yerel, released under electronic monitoring
Yakup Sağlam, Samanyolu reporter, released on probation
Yüksel Evsen, Adana journalist, released on probation
Zeki Önal, not detained due to advanced age, poor health
Journalists taken into custody as part of coup probe
Abdullah Katırcıoğlu, legal status after detention unknown
Bertan Golali, TRT İstanbul, legal status after detention unknown
Emre Koçali, Haberdar, legal status after detention unknown
Erkan Büyük, Haberdar, legal status after detention unknown
Özcan Keser, TRT İstanbul, legal status after detention unknown
Journalists being sought in coup probe by judiciary
Asım Yıldırım, STV anchor
Ayşe Özkalay, Yeni Hayat columnist
Behçet Akyar
Bilal Şahin, Özgür Düşünce
Bülent Ceyhan, Özgür Düşünce
Bülent Keneş, former Today’s Zaman editor-in-chief
Bülent Korucu, Zaman columnist
Can Bahadır Yüce, Zaman columnist
Celil Sağır, Today’s Zaman managing editor
Cevheri Güven, Nokta magazine editor-in-chief
Ergun Babahan
Erhan Başyurt, Bugün editor-in-chief
Erkan Akkuş, BUGÜN TV
Ertuğrul Erbaş, former Nokta editor
Eyüp Can Sağlık, former Radikal editor-in-chief
Faruk Arslan, Zaman columnist
Faruk Kardıç
Fatih Akalan, Samanyolu Haber TV commentator
Fatih Yağmur, former Radikal reporter
Hamit Bilici, Zaman Editor-in-Chief
Hamit Çiçek
Hasan Cücük, Zaman reporter
Hüseyin Döğme
İbrahim Öztürk, Zaman columnist
İhsan Yılmaz, Today’s Zaman columnist
Kamil Maman, Bugün reporter
Kemal Gülen, STV anchor
Kerim Balcı, Turkish Review editor-in-chief
Kerim Gün, Zaman editor
Levent Kenez, Meydan editor-in-chief
Mahmut Akpınar, Millet columnist
Mahmut Hazar, Cihan news agency
Mehmet Akif Afşar
Mehmet Kamış, Zaman columnist
Melih Kılıç, Zaman Media Group sales department employee
Metin Tamer Gökçeoğlu
Metin Yıkar, Samanyolu Haber
Muhammed Fatih Uğur, Zaman news editor
Mürsel Genç, Cihan reporter
Nevzat Güner
Oktay Vızvız
Osman Özsoy, Rota Haber columnist, academic
Ömer Karakaş
Önder Deligöz, former Yeni Şafak reporter
Sait Sefa, Haberdar
Savaş Genç, former TRT reporter and academic
Sedat Yetişkin
Selahattin Sevi, Zaman photography editor
Selçuk Gültaşlı, Zaman Brussels representative
Sevgi Akarçeşme, Today’s Zaman editor-in-chief
Süleyman Sargın
Şemsettin Efe
Şenol Kahraman
Turan Görüryılmaz, Can Erzincan TV anchor
Turhan Bozkurt, Zaman columnist
Ufuk Emin Köroğlu, Karşı Gazete reporter
Veysel Ayhan
Yavuz Baydar, Haberdar.com columnist
Yonca Kaya Şahin, Rotahaber online news site columnist
Journalists detained under state of emergency outside coup probe
Selami Aslan – DİHA, released
Selman Keleş – DİHA, under arrest
İdris Yılmaz – DİHA, under arrest
Mehmet Sıddık Damar – DİHA, released
Esra Aydın – JİNHA, released
Geylan Arslan – JİNHA, released
Nizamettin Yılmaz – Azadiya Welat, under arrest
İdris Yılmaz – DİHA, under arrest
Haydar Ergül – Demokratik Modernite, under arrest
Hasan Akbaş – Evrensel, released
Fırat Topal – Evrensel, released
Serpil Berk – Evrensel, released
Sertaç Kayar – Serbest Gazeteci, released
Engin Eren – DİHA, released on probation
Fatma Edemen – ETHA, released
Davut Uçar– Özgür Gündem, released
Doğan Güzel– Özgür Gündem, released
Ersin Çaksu – Özgür Gündem, released
Günay Aksoy – Özgür Gündem, released
Kemal Bozkurt – Özgür Gündem, released
Reyhan Hacıoğlu – Özgür Gündem, released
Önder Elaldı – Özgür Gündem, released
Ender Önder – Özgür Gündem, released
Sinan Balık – Özgür Gündem, released
Fırat Yeşilçınar – Özgür Gündem, released
Özgür Paksoy – DİHA reporter, released
Zeki Erden – Özgür Gündem, released
Elif Aydoğmuş – Özgür Gündem, released
Ersin Çaksu – Özgür Gündem, released
Mesut Kaynar – DİHA, released
Sevdiye Gürbüz – Özgür Gündem, released
Amine Demirkıran – Özgür Gündem, released
Bayram Balcı – Özgür Gündem, released
Burcu Özkaya – Özgür Gündem, released
Yılmaz Bozkurt –Press Office, Chamber of Medicine, released
Gülfem Karataş – İMC TV, released
Gökhan Çetin – İMC TV, released
Hüseyin Gündüz – Doğu Yayınevi , released
Halil Polat – Freelancer, under arrest
Sabahattin Koyuncu – DİHA, under arrest
Cemil Uğur – Evrensel, under arrest
Yasemin Sayın– Azadiya Welat, under arrest
Hayat Yılmaz– Azadiya Welat, under arrest
Ahmet Kızılaya– Azadiya Welat, released
Arap Turan– Azadiya Welat, under arrest
Berxwedan Tulpar– Azadiya Welat, released
Sürreya Dal– Azadiya Welat, released
Zeynep İzgi– Azadiya Welat, released on probation
İbrahim Bayram– Azadiya Welat, released on probation
Engin Özelçi– Azadiya Welat, released on probation
Ahmet Boltan– Azadiya Welat, released
Ceylan İpek– Azadiya Welat, released
Mehmet Emin Kaya– Azadiya Welat, released
Ziyan Karahan– Azadiya Welat, released
Veysi Altın– Azadiya Welat, released
Ercan Yeltaş– Azadiya Welat, released
Azime Tarhan– Azadiya Welat, released
Serdal Polat– Azadiya Welat, released on probation
Cengiz Aslan– Azadiya Welat, released
Ferit Toprak– Azadiya Welat, under arrest
Mehmet Hüseyin Şahin– Azadiya Welat, released
Mehmet Aydın– Azadiya Welat, released
Pusat Bulut– Azadiya Welat, released on probation
Mehmet Emin Akgün – Azadiya Welat, released
Mecrum Tokal, Azadiya Welat (Released to be detained again on the same day), in custody
Mehmet Ali Ertaş – DİHA, in custody
Journalists known to have been arrested during state of emergency outside coup probe
Zeynel Abidin Bulut – Azadiya Welat
Zehra Doğan – JİNHA
Hülya Karakaya – Özgür Halk
Mehmet Arslan – DİHA
Şermin Soydan – DİHA
Lindsey Snell – Freelancer
Aslı Erdoğan – Özgür Gündem
Metin Bekiroğlu – DİHA
İnan Kızılkaya – Özgür Gündem
Zana (Bilir) Kaya – Özgür Gündem
Erdem Muhirci – DİHA
Ali Aşikar – Azadiya Welat
Necmiye Alpay – Özgür Gündem
Sabahattin Koyuncu – DİHA
Arap Turan – Azadiya Welat
Ferit Toprak – Azadiya Welat
Rabia Özkaya – Özgür Halk
Şirin Çoban – Azadiya Welat
İlker İlkan – Azadiya Welat
Cemil Uğur – Evrensel
Mehmet Anıl – ETHA
Sadık Demir – Radyo Karacadağ
Mizgin Çay – Radyo Karacadağ
Salih Erbekler – Radyo Karacadağ
List of journalists arrested before state of emergency
| Abdulkadir Turay, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter |
| Ali Konar, Azadiya Welat representative |
| Arafat Dayan, Demokratik Ulus former managing editor |
| Cebrail Parıltı, Anadolu Ajansı (AA) Derik reporter |
| Emin Demir, freelancer |
| Erdal Süsem, Eylül magazine editor |
| Erol Zavar, Odak magazine owner |
| Ferhat Çiftçi, Azadiya Welat Gaziantep representative |
| Gurbet Çakar, Hevi women’s magazine |
| Hamit Dilbahar, Azadiya Welat columnist |
| Hatice Duman, owner of Atılım newspaper |
| Hidayet Karaca, president of Samanyolu Media |
| Kamuran Sunbat, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) |
| Kenan Karavil, Radyo Dünya editor-in-chief |
| Mazlum Dolan, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter |
| Mehmet Baransu, Taraf columnist |
| Mikail Barut, Özgür Halk magazine former editor |
| Miktat Algül, Mezitli FM, general broadcast coordinator |
| Muhammed Doğru, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter |
| Mustafa Gök, Ekmek ve Adalet magazine Ankara representative |
| Nedim Türfent, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter |
| Nuri Yeşil, Azadiya Welat Dersim representative |
| Özgür Amed (Ethem Çağır), Özgür Gündem columnist |
| Sami Tunca, Mücadele Birliği magazine news editor |
| Serkan Aydemir, Bitlis Aktüel reporter |
| Seyithan Akyüz, Azadiya Welat Adana |
| Şahabettin Demir, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter |
| Şerife Oruç, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter |
| Şermin Soydan, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) reporter |
| Yılmaz Kahraman, Özgür Halk magazine editor |
| Ziya Ataman, Dicle News Ajansı (DİHA) intern |
List of media outlets shut down under state of emergency decrees
TV stations: Barış TV, Bugün TV, Can Erzincan TV, Dünya TV, Hira TV, Irmak TV, Kanal 124, Kanaltürk, MC TV, Mehtap TV, Merkür TV, Samanyolu Haber, Samanyolu TV, SRT TV, Tuna Shopping TV, Yumurcak TV, İMC TV, Hayat TV, Özgür Gün TV, Van TV, Van Genç TV, TV 10, Jiyan TV, Azadi TV, Zarok TV, Denge TV, Mezopotamya TV and Birlik Medya TV
News Agencies: Cihan Haber Ajansı, Muhabir Haber Ajansı and SEM Haber Ajansı
Newspapers: Adana Haber, Adana Medya, Akdeniz Türk, Şuhut’un Sesi, Kurtuluş, Lider, İscehisar, Durum, Türkeli, Antalya, Yerel Bakış, Nazar, Batman, Batman Postası, Batman Doğuş, Bingöl Olay, İrade, İskenderun Olay, Ekonomi, Ege’de Son Söz, Demokrat Gebze, Kocaeli Manşet, Bizim Kocaeli, Haber Kütahya, Gediz, Zafer, Hisar, Turgutlu Havadis, Milas Feza, Türkiye’de Yeni Yıldız, Hakikat, Urfa Haber Ajansı, Ajans 11, Yeni Emek, Banaz Postası, Son Nokta, Merkür Haber, Millet, Bugün, Meydan, Özgür Düşünce, Taraf, Yarına Bakış, Yeni Hayat, Zaman, Today’s Zaman, Özgür Gündem
Magazines: Akademik Araştırmalar, Aksiyon, Asya Pasifik, Bisiklet Çocuk, Diyalog, Avrasya, Ekolife, Ekoloji, Fountain, Gonca, Gül Yaprağı, Nokta, Sızıntı, Yağmur, Yeni Ümit, Zirve
Radio stations: Aksaray Mavi, Aktüel, Berfin, Burç, Cihan, Dünya, Esra, Haber Radyo Ege, Herkül, Jest, Kanaltürk, Radyo 59, Radyo Aile Rehberi, Radyo Bamteli, Radyo Cihan, Radyo Fıkıh, Radyo Küre, Radyo Mehtap, Radyo Nur, Radyo Şemşik, Samanyolu Haber, Umut, Yağmur, Rengin Radyo, Özgür Radyo, Ses Radyo, Radyo Karacadağ, Özgür Güneş, Yön Radyo, Patnos FM and Dünya Radyo
Publishing houses: Altınburç, Burak Basın Yayın Dağıtım, Define, Dolunay Eğitim Yayın Dağıtım, Giresun Basın Yayın Dağıtım, Gonca, Gülyurdu, GYV, Işık Akademi, Işık Özel Eğitim, İklim Basın Yayın Pazarlama, Kaydırak, Kaynak, Kervan Basın Yayıncılık, Kuşak, Muştu, Nil, Rehber, Sürat Basım Yayın Reklamcılık Eğitim Araçları, Sütun, Şahdamar, Ufuk Basın Yayın Haber Ajans Pazarlama, Ufuk, Waşanxaneya Nil, Yay Basın Dağıtım, Yeni Akademi, Yitik Hazine, Zambak Basın Yayın Eğitim Turizm
*Glossary of legal terms used in this text
Detain / place in custody: To hold in police custody for police interrogation first, and later for testimony to a prosecutor. Might lead to a court appearance depending on the action taken by the prosecutor.
Arrest: To put into prison indefinitely – by court order – pending trial.
Released on probation: Released with an international flight ban issued. Usually entails checking in regularly with a designated police station.
These lists have been compiled by P24 editors from open news sources and will be updated regularly. Journalists who want to report developments about themselves or their colleagues can contact us at [email protected]