Detention warrants issued for 47 former Zaman employees in Gülen probe

ISTANBUL

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An Istanbul prosecutor issued on July 27 detention warrants for 47 former employees and executives of Zaman, a media group considered to be linked to the U.S.-based Islamic scholar Fethullah Gülen, as a part of the investigation into the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ), which was blamed for the July 15 failed coup attempt.

Istanbul counter-terrorism police detained 13 former Zaman employees on charges of “being a member of FETÖ/PDY [Parallel State Structure] terror organization” following a directive by deputy public prosecutor Fuzuli Aydoğdu to detain 47 suspects.

Among the detained employees were former columnists and journalists Şahin Alpay and Nuriye Ural. Alpay was detained at his residence in the Beşiktaş district in the morning hours.

The other detained employees included Zafer Özsoy, Ahmet Metin Sekizkardeş, Cuma Kaya, Murat Avcıoğlu, Osman Nuri Arslan, Şeref Yılmaz, Hüseyin Turan, Faruk Akkan, Ahmet Turan Alkan and Fevzi Yazıcı.
Meanwhile, journalist and sociologist Ali Bulaç surrendered to police by going to the security general directorate.

However, police only conducted searches inside the residence of journalist Zeki Önal, as he could not be detained over his illness.

The former Zaman employees were accused of attempting to overthrow the Turkish government and preventing the duties of the state partly or completely, in addition to receiving unfair press announcement money from the state with irregularity in circulation.

A trustee panel was appointed to the Zaman media group in March.