(Adnkronos) – Two journalists known for their investigations into corruption and organized crime have been arrested in Turkey. According to the Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency, Timur Soykan and Murat Agirel were detained by police on charges of “blackmail” and “threats”, and were taken to Istanbul Police Headquarters as part of a wider investigation by the Bosphorus city prosecutor’s office into illegal betting and money laundering. The homes of the two reporters were searched and materials were seized.
In the past, the two journalists had already been targeted by legal proceedings. Agirel works for Cumhuriyet, while Soykan writes for Birgun. Both are newspapers critical of the policies of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The news of the journalists’ arrest was confirmed by the two newspapers. According to Birgun, they are being held because they “determinedly pursued the system of lies and looting.” The aim of the arrests is to “intimidate journalists who criticize the government and the free media,” Burhanettin Bulut, number two of Turkey’s main opposition party, the CHP, wrote on X.
