Özgürlükçü Demokrasi newspaper’s Managing Editor İshak Yasul was detained by police at noon on 30 March after going to the Istanbul Police Department at Vatan Street to testify as part of the investigation into the newspaper and its publisher Gün Printing Press, according to Mezopotamya News Agency reporters who have shared updates with MLSA.
On March 28, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi and Gün Printing Press offices were raided by police and the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) -- Turkey’s banking watchdog established after the 2000 financial crisis in the country -- had seized the newspaper and the printing facility’s assets, although TMSF officials had failed to provide any court orders regarding the seizure.
At least 24 people, including the owner of Özgürlükçü Demokrasi, Gün Publishing and print press workers were detained in the operation.
Gün Publishing owner Kasım Zengin was told by the police at the newspaper that the raid had taken place because Gün was “printing the publications of a terrorist organization.”
During the ordeal, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi lawyers’ attempts at finding documents or court orders that served as a basis for the raid and the ensuing detentions failed. It emerged that Prosecutor Uygur Kaan Arısoy from the press crimes investigation bureau of the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office had launched an investigation into Özgürlükçü Demokrasi in early February, but later he was taken off the case which was handed over to the counterterrorism investigation bureau. The new prosecutor on the case, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Hasam Yılmaz, refused to see the newspaper's lawyers. A clerk for the prosecutor’s office reportedly told the “sort out the problem” with the TMSF.
The names of those who are currently in police detention as part of the operation are: Özgürlükçü Demokrasi copyrights owners İhsan Yaşar, Gün Printing owner Kasım Zengin, print press workers Erdoğan Zamur, Musa Kaya, Polat Arslan, Cemal Tunç, İrfan Karaca, Kemal Daşdöğen, Mehmet Emin Sümeli, İhsan Sinmiş, Uğur Selman Kelekçiler, Kazım Göçer, Necat Hizarcı, Mahmut Abay, İsmail Ergene, Muhammet Özkan, Mehmet Özkara, Cumali Öz, Süleyman Güneş, Cenk Kale, Cengiz Kaya, Semih Tamay, Özgür Bozkurt , Sadettin Demirtaş and managing editor İshak Yasul.
There were reports that Kemal Kurt and Mürsel Demir were also detained, but these couldn't be confirmed with the Istanbul Police Department.
Police also raided the home of Editor-in-Chief Yılmaz Yıldız in Istanbul’s Bağcılar district as part of the investigation. However, he couldn’t be located at home. The officers seized his mobile phone and laptop.
