Yasir Kaya, a TV presenter and the former news director of the Fenerbahçe football club’s TV channel, was taken into custody on Friday night over his alleged use of the ByLock mobile phone application.
According to the Cumhuriyet daily, Kaya was detained as part of an investigation overseen by the İstanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office after it issued detention warrants for 35 journalists including Kaya on Thursday.
Turkish authorities believe using ByLock is a sign of being a member of the Gülen movement, which the government accuses of masterminding a failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. The mobile phone application ByLock is considered to be the top communication tool among members of the group.
Birgün editor Burak Ekici, Vatan page editor Yusuf Duran, former İhlas news agency news editor Ömer Faruk Aydemir, former Türkiye columnist Ahmet Sağırlı, former Zaman reporter Muhsin Pilgir; former Cihan news agency reporter Sait Gürkan Tuzlu, former Samanyolu TV news editor Cüneyt Seza Özkan, former Cihan news agency reporter Mutlu Özay and Ahmet Feyzullah Özyurt were detained on Thursday.
Police have yet to locate the remaining 24 journalists.
(Parts of this story first appeared io TurkeyPurge.com)