Turkish journalist remanded over terror propaganda

By Muhammed Enes Can

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court Friday remanded in custody journalist Ahmet Sik on charges of making terrorist propaganda and insulting the state on social media and in some of his articles in the Cumhuriyet daily.

The ruling of Istanbul's 8th Criminal Court of Peace came one day after Sik was arrested as part of an ongoing investigation carried out by the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office.

Sik is accused of "openly insulting the Republic of Turkey, its judiciary bodies, the military and police organization as well as making propaganda of terrorist organizations".

The prosecutor's office sought for his arrest citing evidences of his making propaganda of the terrorist groups PKK, DHKP-C and the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO).

Sik, a freelance journalist, photographer and reporter for some newspapers, including Cumhuriyet. In 2011, he was detained on charges of being linked to Ergenekon network, just months before the planned publication of his latest book ‘The Imam's Army’.

The book investigates the controversial Gulen movement led by the U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen.

The Ergenekon case probed a purported network accused of plotting to overthrow the Turkish government. Ahmet Sik spent just over a year in prison before being released in March 2012 while awaiting trial and then resumed his professional activities.

FETO, led by Fetullah Gulen, has been accused by the Turkish government of staging the defeated July 15 coup attempt.

The terror network is also accused of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

The July 15 defeated coup left 248 people martyred, and around 2,200 others wounded.