'Advanced Islamist dictatorship' Turkey - Police raid offices of critical media group days before election. (TD).
Turkish riot police stormed the headquarters of critical media outlets in İstanbul shortly after dawn on Wednesday, with journalists from the paper making fruitless efforts to prevent them from entering into the building.
"Dear viewers, do not be surprised if you see police in our studio in the upcoming minutes," an anchor from Bugün TV, which is one of the seized media outlets, said as he narrated the drama unfolding outside the media company.
Hundreds of people, most of them journalists from media outlets affiliated with Koza İpek Holding, thronged outside the headquarters of the company to protest the seizure of the media companies by the Turkish government.
Mahmut Tanal, a lawmaker from the Republican People's Party (CHP), tried to negotiate with police chiefs, but the riot police proceeded to enter the building, where four media outlets are operating. Police routinely used pepper spray and frequent brawls erupted as they occupied the building.
A reporter from the newspaper tweeted his bloody hands to show how he was injured while resisting police who tried to occupy his office.
Another editor, Fatih Akalan, cried at the police outside the building in futile attempts to protest the takeover. A number of reporters just stood outside with tears in their eyes, watching a newspaper or a TV station they had worked at for years being taken over by the riot police.
The takeover of the management of Koza İpek Holding's 22 companies, including critical TV stations Bugün TV, Kanaltürk and two newspapers, comes just days before Turkey is set to have a repeat parliamentary election on Nov. 1. The move has intensified concerns about the deteriorating state of freedom of speech and of the media in Turkey. Hmmm......welcome to Erdoganistan loved by the EU Parliamentarians and his BFF Obama. I hope this make Turkish voters realize what is at stake is their freedom.Read and see the full story here.
Watch last seconds of @BugunTV broadcast as police storm main control room, shutting it.
@pressfreedom @MajaEUspox
pic.twitter.com/rQ1fKGU2Sh
— Mustafa Edib Yılmaz (@MustafaEdib) October 28, 2015#Turkey slammed over police violence against journalists https://t.co/TFQaOWqxDV via @CommissionerHR pic.twitter.com/dFiuNP1Bxe
— Stefano Montanari (@StefMontanari) October 28, 2015
This guy stranglehold by one police & held back by another is a veteran court reporter @kamilmaman who knows the law pic.twitter.com/mfygwjaTPA
— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) October 28, 2015
— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) October 28, 2015
#Turkey: Koza İpek asks trustees to leave premises on the ground that their names are not in Trade Registry, a requirement in the law
— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) October 28, 2015
Not only disturbing that media are closed in #Turkey but threats expressed by frm advisor Erdogan indicate depth https://t.co/15CILBfkdl
— Marietje Schaake (@MarietjeSchaake) October 28, 2015
The trustees were not published in official Trade Registry. That makes their presence illegal in Koza media offices https://t.co/INkp9ME3xz
— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) October 28, 2015
VIDEO: Turkish police raid TV station ahead of election #Turkey - @GrasswireNow
pic.twitter.com/jWYAAwZgIu
— Conflict News (@Conflicts) October 28, 2015
#Turkey police use tear gas, water cannon to take control of media company headquarters. https://t.co/SlLgV4FBpW pic.twitter.com/dIMlmnmtKi
— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) October 28, 2015
#Turkey: Lawmaker @erenerdemnet says internal polling showed AKP at 37%, making @RT_Erdogan go crazy https://t.co/rNFWVMK3Py
— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) October 28, 2015
Police blocked roads but tens of thousands continue pouring near Koza İpek media offices in Istanbul, journo says https://t.co/wK5KUzv2Ak
— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) October 28, 2015
This is how Erdoğan's police detain an ISIL suspects (L) and a journalist (R). RT @csagir2015 pic.twitter.com/3tyPYQJU9j
— Turkey Media Review (@TurkeyReview) October 28, 2015
More photos from journalists, media members, during police raid on critical İpek Media HQ, in İstanbul, this morning pic.twitter.com/xxKIkkyfQH
— Celil (@csagir2015) October 28, 2015
#Turkey's top-notch court reporter @kamilmaman taken under custody with police brutality as pictured https://t.co/LvYvwZUjzn
— Abdullah Bozkurt (@abdbozkurt) October 28, 2015
Head of #Turkish Bar Assosication:
This is an open intervention in republican regime, people's response will be harsh
#susmayız
— TurkJourno (@TurkJourno) October 28, 2015
@emredemirfr @abdbozkurt Empty worthless words in the wind the #EU fears Erdo and crawls before him.
— MFS - The Other News (@MFS001) October 28, 2015
This is the best interpretation of what's going on in Turkey today. @pressfreedom @JHahnEU @OSCE @cnni @RSF_RWB pic.twitter.com/guUWIWY49g
— Celil (@csagir2015) October 28, 2015
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