JINHA

AMED – ÖGC stated September was the month of coup for the press by releasing the press report of September. According to the report, 12 channels and 11 radio stations were shut down, 18 journalists were taken into custody and 10 of them were jailed in September.

Free Journalists Association (ÖGC) releases a report as to pressure towards the press in September. It is indicated in the report that September was the month of coup for the press. According to the report, 18 journalists were taken into custody and 10 of them were jailed, 46 journalists’ passports were canceled and they were banned on travel abroad. Police raided on five media outlets. Investigation opened into 27 journalists for stand by Özgür Gündem daily. The broadcast of 12 channels and 11 radio stations were cut.

Some part of the report as follows;

September 1, 2016: Dicle News Agency (DİHA) reporter Sebahattin Koyuncu was taken into custody during house raid on August 23 in Silopi. He was released on August 26 and taken into custody again. Sebahattin was jailed for his posts on social media and his reported news.

September 3, 2016: Journalists Atilla Taş, Mutlu Çölgeçen and Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, who were detained over alleged propaganda for the Gülen movement, were jailed.

September 5, 2016: Police in İzmir raided the office of Özgür Halk magazineand arrested the magazine staffer Rabia Özkaya. She was released after being questioned. DİHA reporter Mehmet Kurnaz and freelance journalist Can Özen were taken into custody after police attacked the people, who attended a march organized in order to support the hunger strike launched by the HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party).

September 6, 2016: Police raided the office of Azadiya Welat newspaper and detained 11 staff members of the newspaper. Nine of them were released; Arap Turan and Ferit Toprak were jailed.

September 7, 2016: Staff members of Azadiya Welat, Şirin Çoban and İlker İlkan were detained in the Şevket Sümer Neighborhood of Mersin’s Akdeniz district by police while going to their homes.

September 9, 2016: Atılım editor Deniz Bakır and ETHA reporter Rıdvan Coşkun were detained

September 10, 2016: Novelist and journalist Ahmet Altan and his brother Prof. Dr. Mehmet Altan were detained.

September 13, 2016: DİHA reporter Ruken Demir and internal reporter Rozerin Alağaş were detained in Diyarbakır while covering noise demo.

September 20, 2016: DİHA reporter Mensur Küçükkarga was taken into custody in the Hınıs district of Erzurum.

September 22, 2016: Prof. Dr. Mehmet Altan, who was detained on September 10, was jailed.

September 23, 2016: Novelist and journalist Ahmet Altan was jailed.

September 27, 2016: Journalist Süleyman Gençel was detained for “insulting president” in İzmir.

September 29, 2016: Police raid the offices of Radyo Dogu, Van Tv, Karacadağ Radyo, Dünya Radyo and Ses Radyo and closed them.

September 5, 2016: Police raided the office of Özgür Halk in Basmane/İzmir.

September 9, 2016: police raided the headquarter office of Özgür Halk in Istanbul.

(gc/gd)