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Authorities had
ordered the paper's editor and senior staff be held in jail
pending trial over the secularist newspaper's alleged support
for a coup attempt on July 15. [nL8N1D604C]
Chairman Akin Atalay was detained at the city's Ataturk Airport
on his return from Germany after an arrest warrant was issued
for him, Cumhuriyet said.
Since the failed putsch, more than 110,000 judges, teachers,
police and civil servants have been suspended or dismissed and
36,000 formally arrested in a crackdown that President Tayyip
Erdogan's critics say is quashing legitimate opposition.
Under the state of emergency declared after the coup attempt,
police can detain suspects for up to 30 days before a court must
decide whether to issue a formal arrest warrant pending trial.
Turkey has also closed more than 130 media outlets since July,
raising concerns among its Western allies about deteriorating
press freedoms.
Cumhuriyet's previous editor, Can Dundar, was jailed last year
for publishing state secrets involving Turkey's support for
Syrian rebels. He was later released and is now overseas to
avoid arrest. [nL8N1B03FI]
State-run media said on Thursday prosecutors were seeking life
sentences for nine staff of pro-Kurdish newspaper Ozgur Gundem,
including prize-winning novelist Asli Erdogan, on a charge of
membership of a terrorist organisation. [nL8N1DB6MM]
(Writing by Tuvan Gumrukcu; Editing by Daren Butler and John
Stonestreet)
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