Can Dundar. Editor-in-chief of the Cumhuriyet
14-apr-20
6 January 2020: “Insult” case against Can Dündar and Abbas Yalçın dismissed The trial of Cumhuriyet daily’s former Editor-in-Chief Can Dündar and former responsible editor Abbas Yalçın on the charge of “insulting the president” over a news report published on 11 August 2015 resumed on 16 January 2020 at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. P24 monitored the 12th hearing, where Yalçın was in attendance. Addressing the court, Yalçın asked the judge to dismiss the case. The judge ruled to lift the arrest warrant against Dündar that had been issued as part of this case on the grounds that his defense statement would not contribute to the case file. Issuing her verdict at the end of the hearing, the judge ruled to dismiss the case, citing the expiry of the four-month statute of limitations in Article 26 of Turkey’s Press Law. 5 December 2019: Can Dündar and Abbas Yalçın’s trial on “insulting the president” charge adjourned The trial of Cumhuriyet daily’s former Editor-in-Chief Can Dündar and former responsible editor Abbas Yalçın on the charge of “insulting the president” over a news report published on 11 August 2015 resumed on 5 December 2019 at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. Yalçın told the court that charges were pressed after the expiry of the four month statute of limitations in Turkey’s Press Law and asked the court to dismiss the case. Issuing an interim decision, the court ruled to wait for the execution of the arrest warrant against Dündaar and adjourned the trial until 16 January 2020. 28 November 2029: Trial of Can Dündar over “Özgür Gündem solidarity campaign” adjourned until May The 11th hearing in a trial where Can Dündar, the former editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet newspaper, is being prosecuted for participating in a campaign to lend support to the Özgür Gündem newspaper took place on 28 November 2019 at the 22nd High Criminal Court of Istanbul. Dündar is accused of “printing or publishing statements that legitimize the methods of a terrorist organization” and “disseminating propaganda for a terrorist organization”in the case. Ruling to wait for the execution of the arrest warrant issued against Dündar and the return of the letter from the court abroad, the court adjourned the trial until 21 May 2020. 31 October 2019: Can Dündar’s trial adjourned until March The retrial of journalist Can Dündar, the former editor in chief of Cumhuriyet daily, over the newspaper’s 2015 coverage of the alleged transfer of weapons to insurgents in Syria on trucks operated by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT), resumed on 31 October 2019 at the 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul. Dündar is accused of “espionage” in the retrial. Two other case files against Dündar on other charges were also merged with this case in February. Issuing an interim ruling at the end of the hearing, was closed to the public, the court decided to wait for the response from German judicial authorities concerning Turkey’s extradition request for Dündar and set 19 March 2020 as the date for the next hearing. 18 July 2019: Can Dündar’s trial adjourned One of numerous ongoing trials against journalist Can Dündar resumed on 18 July 2019 at a criminal court in Istanbul. Dündar is accused in this case because he participated in a 2016 campaign for solidarity with the shuttered pro-Kurdish newspaper Özgür Gündem. The 22nd High Criminal Court of Istanbul ruled to wait for the execution of the arrest warrant against Dündar and adjourned the trial until 28 November 2019 6 February 2019: Can Dündar’s file separated in “MİT trucks case” A trial where the former editor-in-chief of the Cumhuriyet daily, Can Dündar, the newspaper’s former Ankara representative Erdem Gül, and main opposition CHP MP Enis Berberoğlu stand accused of “aiding a terrorist group without being its member” resumed on 6 February in Istanbul. The accusation stems from the publication in Cumhuriyet of a news story about the alleged transfer of weapons to Syria on trucks operated by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT). Erdem Gül, his lawyer, and the lawyers representing Berberoğlu and Dündar were in attendance at the closed hearing overseen by the 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul. The court rejected a motion filed by Berberoğlu’s lawyers for the trial to be abated because Berberoğlu has been elected to the Parliament in the latest elections. His lawyer Yiğit Acar reiterated their previous demand for new witnesses to be heard in court, and requested for additional time in the event the court rejected that request. The lawyers representing Dündar and Gül also requested additional time for their defense statements. In its interim ruling, the court ruled to separate the file against Dündar. Rejecting the request by Bereberoğlu’s lawyers for additional witnesses to be heard, the court adjourned the trial until 15 May, granting additional time for the defense statements. The same day, the 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul also heard a separate case against Dündar, where the journalist in on retrial on the charge of “disclosing confidential information for espionage purposes.” This was the third hearing in the case, which is also closed to the public. In its interim ruling, the court ruled to wait for the outcome of the request filed with German authorities for the extradition of Dündar and set 15 May as the date for the next hearing. The court also ruled to merge two other case files against Dündar, overseen by the same court, with the ongoing case on the grounds of legal and de facto connection among the files. Source 5 December 2018: Turkey issues arrest warrant for Can Dündar as Gezi protests investigation expands The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s office issued an arrest warrant for dissident journalist Can Dündar on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the 2013 Gezi Park protests, the biggest anti-government demonstrations since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002, the moderate conservative Karar newspaper reported. Dündar, who lives in exile in Germany, was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison earlier this year for publishing secret state documents revealing alleged weapons shipment to Syria and still faces charges of helping an armed organisation. Read the full article 16 October 2018: Turkey asks Interpol to issue red notice for journalists Tanır and Dündar A Turkish court on Tuesday requested Interpol issue red notices for the arrest of journalists İlhan Tanır and Can Dündar, Turkish news site Duvar reported . Interpol is not obliged to issue red notices in response to such requests and countries are not obliged to act on them. The Istanbul court made the request because Dündar and Tanır, both currently outside Turkey, have appeared to testify to the court, Duvar said. Washington-based Tanır is the editor of Ahval’s English language service, while Dündar is the former editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet newspaper. A Turkish court in May 2016 convicted Dündar on charges of disclosing state secrets after he reported arms shipments to Syrian rebels by the Turkish intelligence service. Dündar left Turkey in June 2016 while appealing his conviction. Dündar said on Twitter he had been travelling to several European countries freely and accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of trying to abuse Interpol to target opponents. "Can a person sought with red notice travel like this? Erdoğan thought he could use Interpol as his police team. Interpol is aware of it. They no longer take Turkey's red notice applications seriously," Dündar tweeted. Source 2 October 2018: “MİT Trucks case” against Can Dündar adjourned until February The latest hearing in the retrial of a case where Can Dündar, the former editor in chief of the Cumhuriyet daily, faces “espionage” charges for the publication of a 2015 news report about the alleged transfer of weapons to Syria on trucks operated by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT), was held on 2 October in Istanbul. The 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul, which is overseeing the retrial, adjourned the case, awaiting the outcome of Justice Ministry’s application before the German authorities for Dündar’s extradition to Turkey and set 6 February 2019 as the date for the next hearing. 4 September 2018: “Özgür Gündem solidarity” trial against Can Dündar adjourned The eighth hearing of a trial against Can Dündar, the former editor-in-chief of the Cumhuriyet daily, on grounds that he took part in a solidarity campaign with the shuttered pro-Kurdish daily Özgür Gündem, was held on 4 September. Dündar is charged with “conducting propaganda for a terrorist organization” in the trial, overseen by the 22nd High Criminal Court of Istanbul. The trial was adjourned until 31 January 2019. 18 July 2018: “MİT trucks case” against Dündar, Gül and Berberoğlu adjourned The 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul on 18 July held the seventh hearing of a trial publicly known as the “MİT trucks case.” Can Dündar, former editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet daily, the newspaper’s Ankara representative Erdem Gül, and imprisoned Republican People’s Party (CHP) İstanbul MP Enis Berberoğlu are standing trial in the case for “knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization without being its member” on account of Cumhuriyet’s May 2015 coverage of Syria-bound National Intelligence Agency (MİT) trucks. At the end of the closed-door hearing, the court adjourned the trial until 10 October for the defendants to prepare their final defense statements. Source 27 November 2015: Turkish journalists accused of harming state security Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Hadi Salihoglu has said the recent arrests of two Turkish journalists of local Cumhuriyet daily has nothing to do with the issue of press freedom in Turkey. On Thursday, Istanbul's 7th Penal Court of Peace ordered the arrests of Can Dundar, editor-in-chief of the newspaper, and the daily’s Ankara bureau chief, Erdem Gul, in the case involving the search of trucks belonging to the Turkish intelligence MIT in 2014. In a statement released Friday, Salihoglu said that Dundar and Gul were arrested for "disclosing information that was meant to be kept confidential for the sake of the state’s security". "The search of [Turkish intelligence] MIT trucks has no concern with ‘freedom of press’, which is guaranteed in the [Turkey’s] constitution, and no individual rights and freedoms have been violated. The suspects were invited to the prosecution office by phone without any detention," he said. The newspaper where the duo worked had published photographs and video footage purportedly showing the MIT trucks which were stopped by local gendarmerie in southern Adana and Hatay provinces on the grounds that they were loaded with ammunition, despite a national security law forbidding such a search. The case saw the arrests of 26 soldiers. Turkey's Interior Ministry said at the time that the trucks, which were reportedly carrying arms into northern Syria, were in reality conveying humanitarian aid to the Turkmen community in the war-torn country. Accompanying photographs published by the daily showed several vehicles filled with weapons and ammunition, stacked under cardboard boxes containing medication. In one photograph, the serial numbers on the ammunition were also visible. Salihoglu said that the investigation into the sources of the journalists for obtaining the photos of the trucks was still on going. He added that the investigation showed that no information, documents, evidence or a sign could be found which indicated that the MIT trucks had been carrying aid for any illegal organization. He added that the MIT trucks had been transporting humanitarian aid to the Syrian Turkmen community but they were stopped and searched by "managers and members of the FETO/PYD terrorist organization". Salihoglu alleged that the MIT trucks operation had been carried out on the orders of Fetullah Gulen and Emre Uslu, leaders of the "FETO/PYD terrorist organization". He accused the journalists of disclosing confidential information in articles published in the Cumhuriyet daily in an alleged attempt to aid the "FETO/PYD terrorist organization". Source 26 November 2015: Turkish journalists jailed over spying charges Two Turkish journalists accused of espionage and aiding a terrorist organization have been sent to prison by a court in Istanbul late Thursday. Istanbul's 7th Penal Court of Peace which is conducting the investigation into accusations against the two journalists, ordered Can Dundar and Erdem Gul be put behind bars pending trial. Dundar, editor-in-chief of newspaper Cumhuriyet, and the daily’s Ankara bureau chief, Gul, were referred to the court by Istanbul Prosecutor Irfan Fidan earlier Thursday, who interrogated the two suspects for two hours. The newspaper where the duo worked had published photographs and video footage purportedly showing trucks belonging to the Turkish intelligence service MIT. In January 2014, several trucks were stopped by local gendarmerie in southern Adana and Hatay provinces on the grounds that they were loaded with ammunition, despite a national security law forbidding such a search. The case saw the arrests of 26 soldiers. Turkey's Interior Ministry said at the time that the trucks, which were reportedly carrying arms into northern Syria, were in reality conveying humanitarian aid to the Turkmen community in the war-torn country. Accompanying photographs published by the daily showed several vehicles filled with weapons and ammunition, stacked under cardboard boxes containing medication. In one photograph, the serial numbers on the ammunition were also visible. Source Turkey’s president on Tuesday lodged a criminal complaint against the editor-in-chief of a newspaper that carried images purporting to show arms being carried to Syria by the Turkish intelligence service. Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s lawyer filed the action against Can Dundar, whose Cumhuriyet newspaper alleged on Friday that Turkey’s MIT intelligence agency was ferrying arms to rebels in Syria under the front page headline “Here are the arms Erdogan says there were not”. In the complaint, handed to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office by Erdogan's lawyer Muammer Cemiloglu, Dundar is accused of committing a crime by publishing “false footage and information” in an attempt to bring down the Republic of Turkey and prevent the state from carrying out its duties. Cumhuriyet’s story related to the stopping of MIT trucks by gendarmes in southern Adana and Hatay provinces in January 2014. Photographs and video appeared to show crates filled with weapons and ammunition stacked under boxes containing medical supplies. In one photograph, the arms’ serial numbers are visible. Prosecutors in Istanbul opened an investigation into Dundar on Friday and Erdogan said the journalist would be “held accountable” during a live TV interview. The search of the MIT trucks, which was allegedly illegal under national security laws, has resulted in 26 gendarmes being arrested. At the time, the Interior Ministry claimed the trucks were carrying humanitarian aid to Syria’s Turkmen community. Source Two Turkish journalists accused of espionage and aiding a terrorist organization have been sent to prison by a court in Istanbul late Thursday. Istanbul's 7th Penal Court of Peace which is conducting the investigation into accusations against the two journalists, ordered Can Dundar and Erdem Gul be put behind bars pending trial. Dundar, editor-in-chief of newspaper Cumhuriyet, and the daily’s Ankara bureau chief, Gul, were referred to the court by Istanbul Prosecutor Irfan Fidan earlier Thursday, who interrogated the two suspects for two hours. The newspaper where the duo worked had published photographs and video footage purportedly showing trucks belonging to the Turkish intelligence service MIT. In January 2014, several trucks were stopped by local gendarmerie in southern Adana and Hatay provinces on the grounds that they were loaded with ammunition, despite a national security law forbidding such a search. The case saw the arrests of 26 soldiers. Turkey's Interior Ministry said at the time that the trucks, which were reportedly carrying arms into northern Syria, were in reality conveying humanitarian aid to the Turkmen community in the war-torn country. Accompanying photographs published by the daily showed several vehicles filled with weapons and ammunition, stacked under cardboard boxes containing medication. In one photograph, the serial numbers on the ammunition were also visible. Source

Can Dundar.
Editor-in-chief of the Cumhuriyet

14-apr-20

6 January 2020:

“Insult” case against Can Dündar and Abbas Yalçın dismissed

The trial of Cumhuriyet daily’s former Editor-in-Chief Can Dündar and former responsible editor Abbas Yalçın on the charge of “insulting the president” over a news report published on 11 August 2015 resumed on 16 January 2020 at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.

P24 monitored the 12th hearing, where Yalçın was in attendance. Addressing the court, Yalçın asked the judge to dismiss the case.

The judge ruled to lift the arrest warrant against Dündar that had been issued as part of this case on the grounds that his defense statement would not contribute to the case file. Issuing her verdict at the end of the hearing, the judge ruled to dismiss the case, citing the expiry of the four-month statute of limitations in Article 26 of Turkey’s Press Law.

5 December 2019:

Can Dündar and Abbas Yalçın’s trial on “insulting the president” charge adjourned

The trial of Cumhuriyet daily’s former Editor-in-Chief Can Dündar and former responsible editor Abbas Yalçın on the charge of “insulting the president” over a news report published on 11 August 2015 resumed on 5 December 2019 at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.

Yalçın told the court that charges were pressed after the expiry of the four month statute of limitations in Turkey’s Press Law and asked the court to dismiss the case. Issuing an interim decision, the court ruled to wait for the execution of the arrest warrant against Dündaar and adjourned the trial until 16 January 2020.

28 November 2029:

Trial of Can Dündar over “Özgür Gündem solidarity campaign” adjourned until May

The 11th hearing in a trial where Can Dündar, the former editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet newspaper, is being prosecuted for participating in a campaign to lend support to the Özgür Gündem newspaper took place on 28 November 2019 at the 22nd High Criminal Court of Istanbul.

Dündar is accused of “printing or publishing statements that legitimize the methods of a terrorist organization” and “disseminating propaganda for a terrorist organization”in the case. Ruling to wait for the execution of the arrest warrant issued against Dündar and the return of the letter from the court abroad, the court adjourned the trial until 21 May 2020.

31 October 2019:

Can Dündar’s trial adjourned until March

The retrial of journalist Can Dündar, the former editor in chief of Cumhuriyet daily, over the newspaper’s 2015 coverage of the alleged transfer of weapons to insurgents in Syria on trucks operated by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT), resumed on 31 October 2019 at the 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul.

Dündar is accused of “espionage” in the retrial. Two other case files against Dündar on other charges were also merged with this case in February.

Issuing an interim ruling at the end of the hearing, was closed to the public, the court decided to wait for the response from German judicial authorities concerning Turkey’s extradition request for Dündar and set 19 March 2020 as the date for the next hearing.

18 July 2019:

Can Dündar’s trial adjourned

One of numerous ongoing trials against journalist Can Dündar resumed on 18 July 2019 at a criminal court in Istanbul. Dündar is accused in this case because he participated in a 2016 campaign for solidarity with the shuttered pro-Kurdish newspaper Özgür Gündem. The 22nd High Criminal Court of Istanbul ruled to wait for the execution of the arrest warrant against Dündar and adjourned the trial until 28 November 2019

6 February 2019:

Can Dündar’s file separated in “MİT trucks case”

A trial where the former editor-in-chief of the Cumhuriyet daily, Can Dündar, the newspaper’s former Ankara representative Erdem Gül, and main opposition CHP MP Enis Berberoğlu stand accused of “aiding a terrorist group without being its member” resumed on 6 February in Istanbul.

The accusation stems from the publication in Cumhuriyet of a news story about the alleged transfer of weapons to Syria on trucks operated by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT).

Erdem Gül, his lawyer, and the lawyers representing Berberoğlu and Dündar were in attendance at the closed hearing overseen by the 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul.

The court rejected a motion filed by Berberoğlu’s lawyers for the trial to be abated because Berberoğlu has been elected to the Parliament in the latest elections. His lawyer Yiğit Acar reiterated their previous demand for new witnesses to be heard in court, and requested for additional time in the event the court rejected that request. The lawyers representing Dündar and Gül also requested additional time for their defense statements.

In its interim ruling, the court ruled to separate the file against Dündar. Rejecting the request by Bereberoğlu’s lawyers for additional witnesses to be heard, the court adjourned the trial until 15 May, granting additional time for the defense statements.

The same day, the 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul also heard a separate case against Dündar, where the journalist in on retrial on the charge of “disclosing confidential information for espionage purposes.”

This was the third hearing in the case, which is also closed to the public. In its interim ruling, the court ruled to wait for the outcome of the request filed with German authorities for the extradition of Dündar and set 15 May as the date for the next hearing. The court also ruled to merge two other case files against Dündar, overseen by the same court, with the ongoing case on the grounds of legal and de facto connection among the files. Source

5 December 2018:

Turkey issues arrest warrant for Can Dündar as Gezi protests investigation expands

The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s office issued an arrest warrant for dissident journalist Can Dündar on Wednesday as part of an investigation into the 2013 Gezi Park protests, the biggest anti-government demonstrations since President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002, the moderate conservative Karar newspaper reported.

Dündar, who lives in exile in Germany, was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison earlier this year for publishing secret state documents revealing alleged weapons shipment to Syria and still faces charges of helping an armed organisation. Read the full article

16 October 2018:

Turkey asks Interpol to issue red notice for journalists Tanır and Dündar

A Turkish court on Tuesday requested Interpol issue red notices for the arrest of journalists İlhan Tanır and Can Dündar, Turkish news site Duvar reported .

Interpol is not obliged to issue red notices in response to such requests and countries are not obliged to act on them.

The Istanbul court made the request because Dündar and Tanır, both currently outside Turkey, have appeared to testify to the court, Duvar said.

Washington-based Tanır is the editor of Ahval’s English language service, while Dündar is the former editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet newspaper.

A Turkish court in May 2016 convicted Dündar on charges of disclosing state secrets after he reported arms shipments to Syrian rebels by the Turkish intelligence service. Dündar left Turkey in June 2016 while appealing his conviction.

Dündar said on Twitter he had been travelling to several European countries freely and accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of trying to abuse Interpol to target opponents.

"Can a person sought with red notice travel like this? Erdoğan thought he could use Interpol as his police team. Interpol is aware of it. They no longer take Turkey's red notice applications seriously," Dündar tweeted. Source

2 October 2018:
“MİT Trucks case” against Can Dündar adjourned until February

The latest hearing in the retrial of a case where Can Dündar, the former editor in chief of the Cumhuriyet daily, faces “espionage” charges for the publication of a 2015 news report about the alleged transfer of weapons to Syria on trucks operated by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT), was held on 2 October in Istanbul.

The 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul, which is overseeing the retrial, adjourned the case, awaiting the outcome of Justice Ministry’s application before the German authorities for Dündar’s extradition to Turkey and set 6 February 2019 as the date for the next hearing.

4 September 2018:

“Özgür Gündem solidarity” trial against Can Dündar adjourned
The eighth hearing of a trial against Can Dündar, the former editor-in-chief of the Cumhuriyet daily, on grounds that he took part in a solidarity campaign with the shuttered pro-Kurdish daily Özgür Gündem, was held on 4 September.

Dündar is charged with “conducting propaganda for a terrorist organization” in the trial, overseen by the 22nd High Criminal Court of Istanbul. The trial was adjourned until 31 January 2019.

18 July 2018:

“MİT trucks case” against Dündar, Gül and Berberoğlu adjourned

The 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul on 18 July held the seventh hearing of a trial publicly known as the “MİT trucks case.”

Can Dündar, former editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet daily, the newspaper’s Ankara representative Erdem Gül, and imprisoned Republican People’s Party (CHP) İstanbul MP Enis Berberoğlu are standing trial in the case for “knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization without being its member” on account of Cumhuriyet’s May 2015 coverage of Syria-bound National Intelligence Agency (MİT) trucks.

At the end of the closed-door hearing, the court adjourned the trial until 10 October for the defendants to prepare their final defense statements. Source

27 November 2015:

Turkish journalists accused of harming state security

Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Hadi Salihoglu has said the recent arrests of two Turkish journalists of local Cumhuriyet daily has nothing to do with the issue of press freedom in Turkey.

On Thursday, Istanbul's 7th Penal Court of Peace ordered the arrests of Can Dundar, editor-in-chief of the newspaper, and the daily’s Ankara bureau chief, Erdem Gul, in the case involving the search of trucks belonging to the Turkish intelligence MIT in 2014.

In a statement released Friday, Salihoglu said that Dundar and Gul were arrested for "disclosing information that was meant to be kept confidential for the sake of the state’s security".

"The search of [Turkish intelligence] MIT trucks has no concern with ‘freedom of press’, which is guaranteed in the [Turkey’s] constitution, and no individual rights and freedoms have been violated. The suspects were invited to the prosecution office by phone without any detention," he said.

The newspaper where the duo worked had published photographs and video footage purportedly showing the MIT trucks which were stopped by local gendarmerie in southern Adana and Hatay provinces on the grounds that they were loaded with ammunition, despite a national security law forbidding such a search. The case saw the arrests of 26 soldiers.

Turkey's Interior Ministry said at the time that the trucks, which were reportedly carrying arms into northern Syria, were in reality conveying humanitarian aid to the Turkmen community in the war-torn country.

Accompanying photographs published by the daily showed several vehicles filled with weapons and ammunition, stacked under cardboard boxes containing medication. In one photograph, the serial numbers on the ammunition were also visible.

Salihoglu said that the investigation into the sources of the journalists for obtaining the photos of the trucks was still on going.

He added that the investigation showed that no information, documents, evidence or a sign could be found which indicated that the MIT trucks had been carrying aid for any illegal organization.

He added that the MIT trucks had been transporting humanitarian aid to the Syrian Turkmen community but they were stopped and searched by "managers and members of the FETO/PYD terrorist organization".

Salihoglu alleged that the MIT trucks operation had been carried out on the orders of Fetullah Gulen and Emre Uslu, leaders of the "FETO/PYD terrorist organization".

He accused the journalists of disclosing confidential information in articles published in the Cumhuriyet daily in an alleged attempt to aid the "FETO/PYD terrorist organization". Source

26 November 2015:

Turkish journalists jailed over spying charges

Two Turkish journalists accused of espionage and aiding a terrorist organization have been sent to prison by a court in Istanbul late Thursday.

Istanbul's 7th Penal Court of Peace which is conducting the investigation into accusations against the two journalists, ordered Can Dundar and Erdem Gul be put behind bars pending trial.

Dundar, editor-in-chief of newspaper Cumhuriyet, and the daily’s Ankara bureau chief, Gul, were referred to the court by Istanbul Prosecutor Irfan Fidan earlier Thursday, who interrogated the two suspects for two hours.

The newspaper where the duo worked had published photographs and video footage purportedly showing trucks belonging to the Turkish intelligence service MIT.

In January 2014, several trucks were stopped by local gendarmerie in southern Adana and Hatay provinces on the grounds that they were loaded with ammunition, despite a national security law forbidding such a search. The case saw the arrests of 26 soldiers.

Turkey’s president on Tuesday lodged a criminal complaint against the editor-in-chief of a newspaper that carried images purporting to show arms being carried to Syria by the Turkish intelligence service.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s lawyer filed the action against Can Dundar, whose Cumhuriyet newspaper alleged on Friday that Turkey’s MIT intelligence agency was ferrying arms to rebels in Syria under the front page headline “Here are the arms Erdogan says there were not”.

In the complaint, handed to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office by Erdogan's lawyer Muammer Cemiloglu, Dundar is accused of committing a crime by publishing “false footage and information” in an attempt to bring down the Republic of Turkey and prevent the state from carrying out its duties.

Cumhuriyet’s story related to the stopping of MIT trucks by gendarmes in southern Adana and Hatay provinces in January 2014.

Photographs and video appeared to show crates filled with weapons and ammunition stacked under boxes containing medical supplies. In one photograph, the arms’ serial numbers are visible.

Prosecutors in Istanbul opened an investigation into Dundar on Friday and Erdogan said the journalist would be “held accountable” during a live TV interview.

The search of the MIT trucks, which was allegedly illegal under national security laws, has resulted in 26 gendarmes being arrested.

At the time, the Interior Ministry claimed the trucks were carrying humanitarian aid to Syria’s Turkmen community. Source