The Turkish authorities on Thursday detained nine journalists in a new operation targeting 35 journalists over the alleged use of encrypted smartphone app, ByLock, a program that the government believes is widely used by members of the Gulen movement.
In simultaneous raids early on Thursday morning, the police searched houses of journalists. As of Thursday morning, at least nine of them were detained.
Burak Ekici, an editor at Birgun daily, and Muhsin Pilgir, Omer Faruk Aydemir, Sait Gurkan Tuzlu, Cuneyt Seza Ozkan, Yusuf Duran, Ahmet Feyzullah Ozyurt Ahmet Sagirli, Mutlu Ozay and Mehmet Ali Ay, were placed in custody.
The latest raids mark a new escalation in the crackdown on media during the state of emergency. Turkey has now nearly 200 journalists in jail, and with the new operation, the number now hovers over 170.
According to Turkey’s Contemporary Journalists’ Association (CGD), more than 900 press cards have been revoked over the past year.