Turkish dissident journalist Can Dündar granted citizenship of Paris

PARIS - Anadolu Agency

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Can Dündar, the former editor-in-chief of daily Cumhuriyet, was awarded honorary citizenship of Paris on Nov. 8.

Dündar, who moved to Germany as an appeal against his conviction for revealing state charges is pending, was awarded the honor at City Hall for “distinguished services” by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.      

Dündar and Cumhuriyet’s Ankara bureau chief, Erdem Gül, were both sentenced to five years, 10 months in prison in June for “revealing state secrets” following a story alleging that Turkey was smuggling weapons to Syria.       

Last week, nine journalists and executives were also arrested in a “terrorism” investigation targeting Cumhuriyet, one of Turkey’s oldest and most-respected newspapers. 

Those arrested on Nov. 5 were current editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu, columnist and IPI Board Member Kadri Gürsel, caricaturist Musa Kart, and Cumhuriyet Foundation board members Güray Tekin Öz, Mustafa Kemal Güngör, Turhan Günay, Hakan Kara, Önder Çelik and Bülent Utku.

They are all accused of committing crimes on behalf of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the network of U.S.-based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gülen, widely believed to have orchestrated the deadly July 15 coup attempt.

Another arrest warrant was issued for Dündar last week.