Prison sentences for Turkish newspaper personnel

istanbul - A Turkish court sentenced fourteen employees of the Cumhuriyet newspaper to prison sentences. These include editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu, research journalist Ahmet Sik and publisher Akin Atalay.

The convicted employees were punished with sentences ranging from more than two years to more than seven years in prison, one of the lawyers involved said. The court also ordered the termination of Atalay's arrest. He will be released for the time being while awaiting the appeal. Other employees had already been released earlier.

Prosecutors accused the newspaper employees, who were critical of the Erdogan government, of support to, among others, the PKK and the organization of Fethullah Gülen. Turkey holds that spiritual responsibility for the failed coup in 2016. Three suspects have been acquitted.

A lawyer from the newspaper called the process 'politically motivated'. He stated that the case was meant to silence Cumhuriyet. Editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu also expressed criticism. 'Journalism is not a crime,' he said. ' And we only have journalism. ''

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