Two influential journalists / day were detained in Turkey

Soikan from the Birun newspaper and Agirel from the Cumhuriyet newspaper were detained at home and accused of threatening and blackmailing threats. The newspapers consider these accusations to be fabricated and directed against journalists because of their professional activity.

Both Birun and Cumhuriyet have criticized the government of Turkish President Reggie Tajip Erdogan and widely reflected Erdogan’s main political rivals, the detention of Istanbul’s plague imamogles and the protests related to it.

The authorities banned protests. More than a dozen journalists have been detained at home after the demonstrations.

Cumhuriyet reports that computers and other digital materials were tested during search of journalists’ homes in Istanbul.

The lawyer of both detained journalists protested against the detention, stating that the prosecution had already been agreed that both journalists would voluntarily come to the prosecutor’s office to testify.

Soikan and Agirel were taken to the hospital at the Istanbul police station. The police can arrest them for up to four days. The court date has not yet been set.

Referring to the prosecution’s decision, Cumhuriyet reports that journalists have been detained because they suspect they could flee or destroy evidence.

« Regardless of the excuses of the official authorities, we know that the main reason for the detention of our friends is that they have discovered the illegality of all court proceedings since March 19, » Birgun says.

The newspaper added that Thursday night, Soikan was scheduled to be awarded, and his arrest shows that « the main goal of the government is not crime and criminals, but journalism and truth. »