Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office has opened probe against 26 journalists and authors including chief editors of Özgür Gündem daily, Eren Keskin and Hüseyin Aykol.

The journalists and authors who are accused of “spreading propaganda for a terrorist organisation” will give their statements at court tomorrow.

The AKP government which continues its repression and threats against the opposition media makes further efforts to keep the journalists of free press silent by means of the judiciary under its control.

“Terror and Organized Crimes Bureau” of Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office has opened a probe against 26 people working for dailies Özgür Gündem and Demokratik Ulus (Democratic Nation) on the basis of their articles published at various dates.

The names of the 26 journalists and authors are;

Demokratik Ulus daily Chief Editor Nuray Candan, its authors Cemal Şerik, Ali Haydar Kaytan, Metin Arslan, Selahattin Erdem, Dilzar Dilok; Özgür Gündem Chief Editors Eren Keskin and Hüseyin Aykol, Managing Editor Reyhan Çapan, authors Suat Bozkuş, Şenel Karataş, Eyüp Güven, Muzaffer Ayata, Baki Gül, Hasan Kıyafet, Kemal Bülbül, Hasan Ali Kızıltoprak, Arif Altan, Ersin Çaksu, Zana Farqini, Doğan Durgun, Metin Yeğin, Mehmet Güç, Ayşe Batumlu, Ömer Ağın and DİHA reporter Hayri Demir.

Speaking on a TV programme on July 24 Press Freedom Day, former Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç targeted the free press by uttering the following remarks; "A number of dailies and news agencies including Özgür Gündem and Evrensel are a crime machine. If we happen to bring an action against these papers, they will get drowned in penalties but will still continue to write the same things."

Upon this threatening statement by Arınç, websites of over a hundred news agencies including ANF and DİHA were blocked by Telecommunications Communication Presidency (TİB) by a court order.