Police have used tear gas and water cannon to disperse protesters in Istanbul demonstrating for press freedom.The rally came after authorities formally arrested nine staff of opposition paper Cumhuriyet.
Some 1,000 protesters in the center of Istanbul were confronted by tear gas and water cannon on Saturday as they tried to reach the offices of the “Cumhuriyet” newspaper, nine of whose journalists and executives have now been put under formal arrest after their detention on Monday.
The protest in the Istanbul district of Sisli came as Ankara continues its draconian crackdown following a July coup attempt that the Turkish government has blamed on US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen.The state authorities have been targeting not only alleged Gulen supporters, but also pro-Kurdish officials in their campaign, which the government says is aimed at stamping out terrorism.
On Friday, nine members of parliament from the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party were arrested on a variety of terrorism-related charges.
Turkish Police Break Up Press Freedom Rally After ‘Cumhuriyet’ Arrests
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