Trial of 17 Journalists from Turkey's Cumhuriyet Begins

The trial of 17 members of the editorial staff of Turkey's Cumhuriyet newspaper, including its editor-in-chief, began on Monday, July 23, in Istanbul. According to the Associated Press, these journalists are accused of 'collaborating with terrorist organizations including Kurdish militants, an ultra-left group, and the Fethullah Gülen network.' Reports and tweets from these journalists have been cited as the basis for the charges, as reported by the International Federation of Journalists. The trial is expected to continue until Tuesday, July 24. Prosecutors have requested 43 years in prison for each of the journalists. During the trial session, hundreds of people outside the court shouted, 'Journalism is not a crime.' The International Federation of Journalists, along with the European Federation of Journalists and two Turkish journalist organizations, have deemed the charges 'baseless.' In this context, the President of the European Federation of Journalists will attend the court to 'directly monitor the court sessions and the proceedings, and to express solidarity with the journalists.' According to the International Federation of Journalists, Ozgi Yurtas, the Secretary-General of one of the Turkish journalist organizations (DİSK Basın-İş), criticized the trial of the 17 Cumhuriyet journalists, stating that 'today, press freedom is under a great threat.' He called for the release of imprisoned journalists in Turkey, noting that freedom of expression and the press are fundamental principles of democracy. Yurtas added, 'As long as innocent journalists are not freed, we cannot claim to live in a democratic country.' The crackdown on journalists has intensified since the failed coup in July of last year. According to the International Federation of Journalists, many media outlets have been shut down and 165 journalists have been imprisoned since then. Currently, Turkey is considered the largest prison for journalists.