Mehmet Altan

An Istanbul court arrested a well-known Turkish professor over links to the Gülen movement on Sept. 22, 10 days after he and his journalist brother were detained over statements on a TV channel before the July 15 coup attempt that were deemed to "call for a coup." 

An Istanbul court arrested a well-known Turkish professor over links to the Gülen movement on Sept. 22, 10 days after he and his journalist brother were detained over statements on a TV channel before the July 15 coup attempt that were deemed to "call for a coup." 

A court in Istanbul remanded in custody Turkish Professor Mehmet Altan on Sept. 22 in connection with a probe into the Gülenist movement.

On July 14, a night before the failed coup attempt in Turkey, there was a political discussion show on Can Erzincan TV, a small TV channel unofficially operated by the Gülen cult. Ahmet Altan and Mehmet Altan, two brothers who are iconic names in Turkey's liberal-left tradition, were on the show.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticized Turkey over press freedom, at an award ceremony of the Sanssouci Colloquium held in Germany's Potsdam. Merkel mentioned the former editor-in-chief of the daily Cumhuriyet, Can Dündar, during her speech, as she stressed the significance of press freedom. 

About 40 prominent academics and authors from around the world are urging Turkey's government to end what they say is the persecution of the country's own writers and professors voicing a differing point of view.

Prominent journalist Ahmet Altan and his brother, academic and columnist Prof. Mehmet Altan, were detained on Sept. 10 for questioning.

Announcing the detentions, Istanbul-based Platform for Independent Journalism (P24) said the reason for the detentions was "Altan brothers' statements on a TV show before the July 15 failed coup attempt in Turkey."

Veteran Turkish journalist and author Çetin Altan died on Oct. 22. He was 88.

Altan had been hospitalized in June and later discharged.

Born on June 22, 1927 in Istanbul, Altan began his journalism career in 1946 in the Ulus newspaper.