No return from democracy, Zaman editor Dumanlı says under detention

Ekrem Dumanlı, the editor-in-chief of Turkey's most circulated paper, the Zaman daily, waves reporters as he leaves the Eyüp State Hospital. (Photo: DHA)
Ekrem Dumanlı, the editor-in-chief of Turkey's most circulated paper, the Zaman daily, waves reporters as he leaves the Eyüp State Hospital. (Photo: DHA)


Date posted: December 16, 2014

Ekrem Dumanlı, the editor-in-chief of Turkey’s most circulated paper, the Zaman daily, emphasized his strong belief in democracy on the third day of his detention in an unprecedented government-backed police crackdown.

Dumanlı and Samanyolu Broadcasting Group General Manager Hidayet Karaca, who were detained on Sunday along with 25 others in a police operation that targeted journalists, TV scriptwriters and former police officers, were referred to Eyüp State Hospital early on Tuesday for a medical check-up.

“[There is] no return from democracy,” Dumanlı said twice, when asked by journalists while he was leaving the hospital whether he has a message for the public, implying that Turkey should not take a step back on its journey toward democracy.

Dumanlı and Karaca were taken back to the İstanbul Police Department after their medical exams.

Dumanlı’s lawyer, Nazif Aktaş, stressed that his client was most likely referred to the hospital because his detention period has already expired. The detention period for Dumanlı and Karaca was extended for one more day, which is not customary, their lawyers said at a press conference in front of the İstanbul Police Department on Monday.

The Turkish public has been up in arms against the police crackdown, which has also drawn strong criticisms from the European Union, the US and the world’s leading human rights groups.

Freedom House, a US-based nongovernmental organization advocating democracy, political freedom and human rights, has said that the detention of prominent journalists from Zaman and the Samanyolu broadcasting group in Turkey appear to be “government retribution against journalists reporting on corruption and criticizing the government.” Freedom House called on the Turkish government to end the crackdown on free speech in Turkey.

Source: Today's Zaman , December 16, 2014


Related News

Leaked photo shows 11 hijabi women, 2 babies in Bursa prison on terror, coup charges

The women are accused of having a membership in the Gülen movement, accused by the Turkish authorities to mastermind a coup attempt on July 15, 2016. The movement denies any involvement.

A Prayer for the victims of Turkey from Nigeria

God in heaven, I pray for the hundreds of thousands of Kurds, Alevis, Hizmet movement participants and minority Christians languishing in Turkish prisons for no justifiable reason.

Turkish Gov’t Unveils 16 Ways to Identify Gulenists [as Terrorists]

Turkish authorities have finally come up with a detailed set of measures and criteria to identify suspected Gulenists. After its publication and prime minister’s announcement, critics argued that this presents a perfect textbook of fascism as the government justifies its actions, purges on ludicrous charges devoid of a legal base in universal standards and even country’s current laws.

Russian scholar: Gülen promotes peaceful education for a world mired in conflict

Prominent Russian scholar Professor Rostislav Ribakov has praised US-based Turkish Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen for the schools opened around the world by his supporters, saying that these schools are bringing up a new generation of students who uphold world peace.

Gov’t pressure to shut down Turkish schools sparks outcry

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government’s attempts to shut down Turkish schools abroad that are affiliated with the Hizmet movement, which is inspired by the teachings of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen, have sparked an outcry among opposition figures and diplomats, who criticize the government for “abusing education because of personal hostility.”

Cops vs. robbers [in Turkey]

The high-profile officials — whose involvement in bribery and corruption have been disclosed with much media coverage — and those who protect and abet them do not care about how they will be remembered by future generations. They do not feel ashamed about the positions they adopt, and they shamelessly proceed to give the impression of siding with “robbers” in the cops vs. robbers confrontation.

Latest News

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

University refuses admission to woman jailed over Gülen links

In Case You Missed It

Gülen condemns Paris shootings, says all forms of terror deplorable

What lies beneath the prep-school row between AK Party and the Hizmet

A Cry of the Heart for the Victims of Hurricane Katrina

Turkish charity Kimse Yok Mu opens two orphanages in Burundi

[Caliphate in sight] What to expect in 2014 Turkey

Kalashnikov-carrying police raid Gülen-inspired private and prep schools based on ‘reasonable suspicion’

Turkish Syriac Catholic patriarch launches ‘Fruits of Dialogue’

Copyright 2023 Hizmet News