US ’troubled’ by arrest of Cumhuriyet editors, calls on Turkey to uphold freedoms

The United States has said it is "troubled" by the pre-trial arrest of top editors of Turkey's critical newspaperCumhuriyet, calling on Turkish authorities to uphold freedoms to ensure stronger Turkish democracy.

In a relatively more forceful statement, Mark Toner, State Department Deputy Spokesperson, said late on Friday that the investigation, criminal charges, and arrest of the editors raise "serious concerns" about the Turkish government's commitment to the fundamental principle of media freedom.

A court in İstanbul arrested Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Can Dündar and Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gül over a report that documented Turkish intelligence's involvement in the transfer of arms into Syria. Turkey initially claimed that the trucks intercepted by prosecutors were carrying humanitarian goods. Later, the Turkish government edited its narrative and claimed that arms were heading to Turkmens in Syria's Bayırbucak. Turkmen fighters are ethnic Turkic and strongly backed by Ankara.

Toner said Thursday's events are only the latest in a series of judicial and law enforcement actions taken under "questionable circumstances" against Turkish media outlets critical of the government.

With the arrest of Dündar and Gül, the total number of Turkish journalists incarcerated behind bars has risen to 32. Since the government regained its parliamentary majority in Nov. 1 elections, at least six journalists were arrested. In the past one month, the Turkish authorities shut down 14 TV channels, seized two newspapers, two TV channels and a radio channel.

"We call on Turkish authorities to ensure that all individuals and organizations – including but not limited to the media – are free to voice a full range of opinions and criticism, in accordance with Turkey's constitutional guarantees of media freedom and freedom of expression," Toner said, adding that this will ultimately strengthen Turkey's democracy.