US criticizes Turkey over seizure of paper
The United States has criticized the Turkish government for deciding to take control of the mainstream opposition newspaper Zaman, calling the decision “troubling”.
On Friday, the Istanbul Sixth Criminal Court of Peace ordered the management of Zaman newspaper to be replaced by the trustees board appointed by the court.
The court decision, which came at the request of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, provoked angry protests in front of the newspaper's office.
State Department spokesman John Kirby said Friday that Washington urged Turkish authorities to respect freedom of the press.
"We see this as the latest in a series of troubling judicial and law enforcement actions taken by the Turkish government targeting media outlets and others critical of it," Kirby told a news briefing.
"We urge Turkish authorities to ensure their actions uphold the universal democratic values enshrined in their own constitution, including freedom of speech and especially freedom of the press."
The takeover of Zaman comes as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) intensify the pressure on the Turkish media.
Affiliated with the Gülen movement, Zaman is one of the few opposition media outlets operating in the country.
The Gülen movement, inspired by US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gülen, is allegedly using its influence in the government to stage a coup against Erdogan's rule.
Following the decision, Zaman editor-in-chief Abdülhamit Bilici said the court decision marked a "black day for democracy", as he addressed the crowd.
“Today, we are experiencing a shameful day for media freedom in Turkey. Our media institutions are being seized,” Today's Zaman editor-in-chief Sevgi Akarcesme said.
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