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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Zaman newspaper: Defiant last edition as Turkey police raid | Zaman newspaper: Defiant last edition as Turkey police raid |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Turkey's biggest newspaper, Zaman, has condemned its takeover by the authorities in a defiant last edition published just before police raided it. | Turkey's biggest newspaper, Zaman, has condemned its takeover by the authorities in a defiant last edition published just before police raided it. |
| Saturday's edition said Turkey's press had experienced "one of the darkest days in its history". | Saturday's edition said Turkey's press had experienced "one of the darkest days in its history". |
| Turkish police raided Zaman's offices hours after a court ruling placed it under state control, but managers were still able to get the edition to print. | Turkish police raided Zaman's offices hours after a court ruling placed it under state control, but managers were still able to get the edition to print. |
| Zaman readers have protested against the takeover outside the offices. | Zaman readers have protested against the takeover outside the offices. |
| Police dispersed the demonstration, numbering about 500 people, with tear gas and water cannon. The newspaper's supporters chanted "Free press cannot be silenced". | Police dispersed the demonstration, numbering about 500 people, with tear gas and water cannon. The newspaper's supporters chanted "Free press cannot be silenced". |
| A number of the journalists returned to work on Saturday, but some of them tweeted that: | A number of the journalists returned to work on Saturday, but some of them tweeted that: |
| One reporter, Abdullah Bozturk, said attempts were also under way to wipe the newspaper's entire online archive. | One reporter, Abdullah Bozturk, said attempts were also under way to wipe the newspaper's entire online archive. |
| The European Union's response has been to issue weak statements of concern, the BBC's Mark Lowen says. | |
| It is accused of acting softly on Turkey as it needs the country's support in managing the refugee crisis. | |
| The paper is closely linked to the Hizmet movement of influential US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, which Turkey says is a "terrorist" group aiming to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. | The paper is closely linked to the Hizmet movement of influential US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, which Turkey says is a "terrorist" group aiming to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's government. |
| Mr Gulen was once an ally of Mr Erdogan but the two fell out. Many Hizmet supporters have been arrested. | Mr Gulen was once an ally of Mr Erdogan but the two fell out. Many Hizmet supporters have been arrested. |
| The court ruled on Friday that Zaman, which has a circulation of some 650,000, should now be run by administrators. No explanation was given. | The court ruled on Friday that Zaman, which has a circulation of some 650,000, should now be run by administrators. No explanation was given. |
| Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the move was "legal, not political". | |
| "It is out of the question for neither me nor any of my colleagues to interfere in this process," he said in a television interview. | |
| The government in Ankara has come under increasing international criticism over its treatment of journalists. | The government in Ankara has come under increasing international criticism over its treatment of journalists. |
| The EU's diplomatic service said that Turkey "needs to respect and promote high democratic standards and practices, including freedom of the media", while the US described the move as "troubling". | |
| The Saturday edition of the newspaper was printed before the government-backed administrators had taken control. | The Saturday edition of the newspaper was printed before the government-backed administrators had taken control. |
| "The Constitution is suspended," a headline in large font on a black background reads on the front page. | "The Constitution is suspended," a headline in large font on a black background reads on the front page. |
| "The Turkish press has experienced one of the darkest days in its history," the paper adds. | "The Turkish press has experienced one of the darkest days in its history," the paper adds. |
| "Turkey's mass circulation newspaper was seized despite Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's assurance that 'free press is our red line.'" | "Turkey's mass circulation newspaper was seized despite Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu's assurance that 'free press is our red line.'" |
| The English-language edition echoed its sister paper with the headline: "Shameful day for free press in Turkey." | The English-language edition echoed its sister paper with the headline: "Shameful day for free press in Turkey." |
| Police entered the building in Istanbul late on Friday, firing tear gas at protesters who had gathered outside. | Police entered the building in Istanbul late on Friday, firing tear gas at protesters who had gathered outside. |
| Hundreds of Zaman supporters defied the police. One held a placard saying: "We will fight for a free press." | |
| "I believe that free media will continue even if we have to write on the walls," Zaman's editor-in-chief Abdulhamit Bilici said shortly before the raid on Friday. "I don't think it is possible to silence media in the digital age." | "I believe that free media will continue even if we have to write on the walls," Zaman's editor-in-chief Abdulhamit Bilici said shortly before the raid on Friday. "I don't think it is possible to silence media in the digital age." |
| He was speaking to the Cihan news agency, which was also affected by the court order. | He was speaking to the Cihan news agency, which was also affected by the court order. |
| Freedom of the press in Turkey | Freedom of the press in Turkey |