MOSCOW, December 19 (Sputnik) — A Turkish Court has released the editor-in-chief of the Zaman newspaper, Ekrem Dumanli, and seven others detained last week on suspicion of plotting an anti-government coup, local newspapers reported Friday.
15 December 2014, 13:47 GMT
Dumanli and seven other people were released on bail. The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of four people detained last week, including Hidayet Karaca, the head of the Samanyolu Media Group, according to the media reports.
Last week, Turkish police conducted nationwide raids, detaining 27 people, including journalists, TV producers and police officers.
The raids followed allegations that a US-based Muslim cleric, Fethulla Gulen, was attempting to overthrow Recep Tayip Erdogan's government. Most of the detained journalists are considered to be Gulen supporters. Turkey's Minister for Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu claimed that the journalists were arrested for their alleged involvement in a "crime syndicate".
