17 suspects from attacks on daily Hürriyet released after detainment

Çetin Aydın – ISTANBUL

DHA photo

17 suspects, who were identified to have taken part in two attacks over the span of three days against daily Hürriyet’s headquarters in Istanbul, were released after being interrogated. 

A total of 17 suspects were detained by police on grounds of taking part in the attacks on daily Hürriyet on Sept. 6 and Sept. 8. They were later released by Istanbul’s Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. 

While three of the 17 suspects admitted to have joined the protests on Sept. 6, 14 of them said they took part in the one organized on Sept. 8. But none of them admitted to attacking the building. 

Daily Hürriyet’s Istanbul headquarters and Ankara offices were pelted with stones by club-swinging protesters on Sept. 8, less than 48 hours after a similar attack by Justice and Development Party (AKP) supporters.

Around 100 protesters arrived at the outer gate of the building at 8:30 p.m., with four gunshots heard as they approached. Protesters forced their way into the garden, despite the presence of a small unit of riot police.

In the initial attack, some 200 pro-AKP protesters, including an AKP deputy, had convened in front of the building late on Sept. 6. 

The group, claiming a statement of Erdoğan was misrepresented on Hürriyet’s website, then attacked security personnel at the outer gate before forcing their way to the door, which they pelted with stones.

Protesters chanting pro-AKP slogans retreated after riot police arrived at the scene.