16 August 2016•Update: 16 August 2016
ISTANBUL
An Istanbul court on Tuesday temporarily suspended publication of a Turkish newspaper over alleged links to the terrorist PKK.
Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office stated that the Istanbul 8th Criminal Court of Peace ordered the closure of the Ozgur Gundem [Free Agenda] daily newspaper, which has been publishing intermittently for more than two decades. Some executives of the newspaper are facing criminal charges.
The statement said the court made the order according to Article 28 of the Turkish constitution which permits the suspension of publications which “contain material which contravenes the indivisible integrity of the state with its territory and nation”.
The Prosecutor's Office had applied to the court over allegations that “the newspaper acts as a media organ of the PKK terrorist organization [and] makes terrorist propaganda".
The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU -- resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015. Since then, more than 600 security personnel have been martyred and more than 7,000 PKK terrorists killed.
