Turkey Detains Editor-in-Chief of Newspaper over 'G?len Links'

An armed private security officer on guard in front headquarter of Cumhuriyet daily newspaper in Istanbul, Turkey, October 31, 2016. EPA/BGNES

Turkish police have arrested the Editor-in-Chief of daily Cumhuriyet and others from the newspaper, H?rriyet Daily News reports, citing local media outlets.

State-run Anadolu Agency also reports raids have been made into the homes of Executive Board Chairman Ak?n Atalay and G?ray ?z.

Murat Sabuncu's detention comes as authorities are still responding to the failed coup attempt in July.

Several media reports suggest a total of 13 arrest warrants have been issued for journalists and executives of the paper.

The suspects have been charged with membership of the movement of US-based Islamic cleric Fethullah G?len, which Turkey deems a terrorist organization and refers to as "FET?", Anadolu quotes a source speaking on the condition of anonymity as saying.

Ankara blames G?len for the military coup attempt.

Some of the journalists are supposedly accused of also aiding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Can D?ndar, the former Editor-in-Chief of Cumhuriyet who is now out of the country and is believed to be in Germany, has also been issued an arrest warrant.

He was convicted in a case related to the alleged transfer of weapons to Syrian rebels on behalf of the country's intelligence service MIT.

Turkey moved to close fifteen media outlets across the country in the weekend, also dismissing thousands of civil servants and security officers.

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