Editor from top Turkish daily held in post-coup crackdown

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (R) attends a ceremony at the Ataturk Mausoleum to mark 94th anniversary of Turkey’s Victory Day in Ankara on August 30, 2016

© AFP Adem Altan

Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish authorities arrested an editor from the leading Hurriyet daily on Tuesday, continuing a sweep of the media triggered by last month's failed coup, the newspaper said.

Dincer Gokce, editor of the paper's English-language website, was among nine current and former journalists arrested in Istanbul, Ankara and Kocaeli province, Hurriyet said on its website.

Former writers for the Bugun, Radikal and Yeni Safak dailies and the defunct former opposition paper Zaman linked to the preacher accused of launching the coup were also arrested, according to NTV broadcaster.

Istanbul's prosecutor's office issued warrants for a total of 35 people over their suspected links to the renegade army units that tried to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on July 15, Hurriyet said.

Eighteen of the suspects had already left the country and eight others were still being sought, NTV said.

The government has accused US-based Turkish Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen of masterminding the putsch, a claim he vehemently denies.

Ankara has embarked on a purge of tens of thousands within the police, judiciary, education, business and the media to rid the country of what Erdogan calls the "virus" of Gulen's influence.

The journalists arrested on Tuesday were accused of pro-Gulen propaganda, Hurriyet said.

Several other journalists are already in custody awaiting trial, including veteran journalist and writer Nazli Ilicak.

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