Turkish police detained the chairman of opposition
newspaper Cumhuriyet at Istanbul's main airport on Friday, less
than a week after nine of its executives and journalists were
formally arrested, the paper said.
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.
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.
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.