December 17, 2015•Update: December 17, 2015
ANKARA
A Turkish court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for the former editor and owner of the Zaman newspaper.
The warrants against former editor Ekrem Dumanli and Alaeddin Kaya, who owned the paper up until 1998, were issued by the Ankara Eighth Penal Court of Peace as part of an investigation into the Gulen movement.
Headed by U.S.-based cleric Fetullah Gulen, the movement is accused of attempting to overthrow the current Turkish government by infiltrating its supporters into state institutions, particularly the police and judiciary.
Zaman has long been affiliated with Gulen, whose followers are referred to as a “parallel state” by the government.
Warrants were also issued against four other suspects following a demand from the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Dumanli previously had an arrest warrant issued against him by a court in Istanbul over charges of leading a terrorist organization and plotting to overthrow the government. Since Sept. 18 his whereabouts have been unknown.
He was arrested and remanded in custody last year but later released.
