Istanbul court orders continuation of Akın Atalay’s imprisonment in Cumhuriyet case

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court on March 16 ordered the continuation of Akın Atalay and Ahmet Kemal Aydoğdu’s imprisonment in the Cumhuriyet case, rejecting the lawyers’ demands for their release.

The court on March 9 had ordered the release of investigative journalist Ahmet Şık and Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu in the same case.

The daily's chairman, Akın Atalay, however, was remanded in custody.

Speaking after his release on March 9, Sabuncu had said their release was not a reason to be happy as several journalists remain in prison.

"We should not be happy that we have been released because our release does not mean things have changed in Turkey regarding freedom of speech," Sabuncu told reporters.

Şık reiterated Sabuncu's comments, saying he would rather see anger than happiness.

"I am not happy in any way. I don't want you to be happy while Akın Atalay is still inside. I would prefer if you were angry, for anger will keep us standing," Şık said.

"Today is not a day for us to be happy, but there will come a day when we will be happy in this country," he added.

The three were the last remaining suspects in the case to be held behind bars ahead of a final verdict, leaving Atalay the sole suspect still behind bars.

A total of 17 staff from Cumhuriyet ("Republic" in Turkish) face terror charges in the trial, which opened on July 24. Others have been gradually freed over the last year. It is still not clear when the final verdict will be announced.

The terror-related charges are put as supporting three outlawed groups through their media coverage, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the Revolutionary People’s Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) and the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ).