Akın Atalay

The arrested editor-in-chief of daily Cumhuriyet, Murat Sabuncu, and Cumhuriyet columnist Kadri Gürsel have demanded the urgent preparation of any indictment against them as well as trial without arrest, a deputy from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has said.

The arrested CEO of daily Cumhuriyet has denied claims that the embattled newspaper has changed its publishing policy in recent years to ally with the Gülen movement and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 

Akın Atalay, who was arrested on Nov. 13 on "terror charges," said in his court testimony before arrest that the daily has editorial independence. 

A Frenchreporter was expelled from Turkey on Nov. 13 after being detained near the Syrian border in the country's southeast, his employers said.

Olivier Bertrand "has arrived in Paris (CDG airport) and is in good shape," said Isabelle Roberts, head of online news media Les Jours.

Turkish judicial authorities arrested the CEO of daily Cumhuriyet on Nov. 12, a day after he was detained as he arrived at Istanbul Atatürk Airport following a trip to Germany.

Akın Atalay was arrested for "being a member of a terrorist organization."

The CEO's lawyer, Bahri Belen, released a statement, saying they would continue to defend "law until the very end."

Police detained Cumhuriyet Foundation Executive Board President Akın Atalay on Nov. 11 at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport after he landed from Germany, as a part of the investigation into columnists and executives at Turkish daily Cumhuriyet.

Police detained Cumhuriyet Foundation Executive Board President Akın Atalay on Nov. 11 at Istanbul's Atatürk Airport after he landed from Germany, as a part of the investigation into columnists and executives at Turkish daily Cumhuriyet.

The Council of Europe will give a press freedom award to Turkish daily Cumhuriyet journalists and the newspaper itself, as a part of the program of the fifth World Forum for Democracy, scheduled to be held between Nov. 7 and 9. 

Two opposition parties have condemned the detention of the editor-in-chief and more than a dozen journalists of daily Cumhuriyet early on Oct. 31, saying the move passes another threshold in pressure on dissidents by the Turkish government. 

Turkish police have arrested the Editor-in-Chief of daily Cumhuriyet and others from the newspaper, Hürriyet Daily News reports, citing local media outlets.

State-run Anadolu Agency also reports raids have been made into the homes of Executive Board Chairman Akın Atalay and Güray Öz.

Eleven people, including executives and columnists of the critical daily Cumhuriyet newspaper, were detained in a series of raids on their homes early on Oct. 31, after prosecutors initiated a probe against them on "terrorism" charges.