Simultaneous Police Operations in 13 Turkish Cities Against Certain Media Outlets

In the early hours of Sunday, December 23, Turkish security forces and police arrested at least 23 people in a simultaneous operation across 13 cities. Among those arrested are the editor-in-chief of the Zaman newspaper, the director of the Samanyolu news network, a producer of two television series, a television series director, and a former head of the anti-terrorism unit of the police in Istanbul. According to Turkish media, the prosecutor's office has issued arrest warrants for 32 individuals and opened cases against 37 others, some of whom are already in custody. Early Sunday, the Zaman newspaper's office in Istanbul was one of the locations raided by police. Dozens of security forces and police entered the newspaper's office while employees and supporters of Zaman protested outside the building, chanting, "Independent press cannot be silenced." According to Cumhuriyet newspaper, police and security personnel left the Zaman office after an hour due to the lack of necessary documents and warrants. However, in the afternoon, police and prosecutor's office officials re-entered the Zaman building and arrested its editor-in-chief, Ekrem Dumanlı, at his office. The editor-in-chief of Zaman, several journalists, and some police personnel are among those who have been issued arrest warrants. The protests by supporters of Zaman, which began with dozens of participants on Sunday morning, have now expanded, with hundreds gathering outside the newspaper's building demanding the release of Zaman's staff. Some Turkish media outlets cite the reason for this simultaneous and controversial operation as a power struggle between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Fethullah Gülen, the spiritual leader of millions of Turkish citizens. The Islamist newspaper Zaman and the Samanyolu television network are media outlets close to Gülen. Gülen, who has lived in the United States for years, is considered one of Turkey's most influential religious leaders. However, in recent years, deepening rifts between him and Erdoğan have led the Islamist government to carry out extensive purges in ministries, police forces, the judiciary, security organizations, and state media. Erdoğan has accused Gülen and his supporters of forming a parallel state, and hundreds of Gülen's supporters have been arrested and tried. On the other hand, the state-affiliated Anadolu Agency, in a separate analysis citing its sources, states that the arrests are related to a case opened in 2009. In this case, the then-government claimed that an Islamic group known as "Tahşiyeciler," which was close to al-Qaeda, intended to carry out sabotage operations in the country. This group and its leader, Muhammad Doğan, known as Mullah Muhammad, are considered ideological opponents of Gülen. The operation on Sunday received extensive media coverage in domestic and international news outlets, and three opposition parties in Turkey strongly condemned the operation. Turkish President Erdoğan has not yet reacted to these arrests, but Ahmet Davutoğlu, the Prime Minister and leader of the Justice and Development Party, stated hours after the Sunday arrests that all those who act against democracy in this country will pay for their actions.