An Istanbul prosecutor has issued detention warrants for 47 former
executives of Zaman, a media group considered to be linked to U.S.-based
Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, as a part of the investigation into
the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ), which was blamed for the
July 15 failed coup attempt.
Istanbul counter-terrorism
police conducted searches at addresses of former Zaman executives and
journalists in the early hours of July 27 upon a directive by deputy
public prosecutor Fuzuli Aydoğdu to detain 47 suspects in the
investigation.
Journalist Şahin Alpay was detained at his residence in the Beşiktaş district at around 6 a.m.
Other
journalists and former executives who were issued a detention warrant
included Ali Bulaç, Bülent Keneş, Abdülhamit Bilici, Mehmet Kamış and
Mümtazer Türköne.
The journalists are accused of being a member
of an armed terror organization, attempting to overthrow the Turkish
government and preventing the duties of the state partly or completely,
in addition to receiving unfair press announcement money from the state
with irregularity in circulation.
A trustee panel was appointed to the Zaman media group in March.
