Güray Öz

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has accused the prosecutors in the daily Cumhuriyet case of being members of the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ).

An Istanbul court on July 28 ordered the release of seven daily Cumhuriyet journalists, executives but ruled for the continuation of arrest for another five who are being accused on charges of "supporting terror." 

The released journalists and executives were cartoonist Musa Kart, Bülent Utku, Turan Günay, Önder Çelik, Kemal Güngör, Hakan Karasinir and Güray Öz.

Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Istanbul deputy Barış Yarkadaş read out a message from daily Cumhuriyet's imprisoned editor-in-chief, Murat Sabuncu, in parliament's general assembly on Dec. 6. 

The arrested staff of daily Cumhuriyet have demanded that their indictment be prepared as soon as possible in the hopes that they can be tried without arrest, said opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker Utku Çakırözer, who visited the journalists in Istanbul's Silivri jail, the daily reported Nov. 25. 

Launching legal proceedings against daily Cumhuriyet on accusations of support for terrorism is an explicit indication of a witch hunt against dissidents, the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has stated, in a report prepared after a party visit to the newspaper's imprisoned journalists. 

The list that has 18 names on it is a long one with Orhan Erinç, Hikmet Çetinkaya, Murat Sabuncu, Kadri Gürsel, Musa Kart, Aydın Engin, Güray Öz and Turhan Günay… This is the list of those who have been detained and those for whom search warrants have been issued. 

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.