Turkish newspaper staff sent to prison pending trial

ISTANBUL

Nine journalists and executives from the Cumhuriyet newspaper were remanded in custody by a court in Istanbul on Saturday, a police official said.

Editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu was among those sent to prison pending trial, the official said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

Cartoonist Haci Musa Kart and board members Ahmet Kadri Gursel, Guray Tekin Oz, Mustafa Kemal Gungor, Turhan Gunay, Hakan Karasinir, Onder Celik and Bulent Utku were the others.

They were among 13 arrested on Monday in a counter-terrorism investigation into the PKK and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) by the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s office.

The remaining four -- directors Gunseli Ozaltay and Bulent Yener and columnists Aydin Engin and Hikmet Cetinkaya -- were released on bail and barred from travelling abroad.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU and has been responsible for the deaths of more than 700 security force members since July last year. FETO is said to be behind the July 15 coup attempt that saw 246 people martyred.

Reporting by Murat Kaya : Writing by Emin Avundukluoglu