FETÖ-linked media companies shut down in Turkey

The Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ/PDY)-linked media institutions in Turkey have been shut down after the coup attempt of July 15 that targeted the democratically-elected Turkish government.

The Zaman daily, Today's Zaman, Taraf, Bugün and Meydan newspapers, Nokta magazine, Samanyolu television channel, Samanyolu News Radio, Cihan news agency, Bugün TV, Can Erzincan TV, Kanal Turk television are among those institutions closed down.

All the property holdings of these media institutions will be enrolled on behalf of the department of treasury.

Also, ministry approval will be sufficient for the media institutions to be shut down, if they are detected to be forming a threat against the security or having links with terrorist organizations.

A commission, to be formed by the minister, will make a suggestion for a media institution to be closed and the suggestion will be submitted to the minister.

Turkey accelerated its fight against the media that have links with a terrorist organization, particularly the FETÖ, following the bloody coup bid that triggered violent incidents and clashes which killed 246 people and wounded more than 2,000.

Previously, on Monday and Tuesday, arrest warrants were issued for 89 journalists, including columnists and former managers of Zaman daily, Nazlı Ilıcak, a well-known Turkish journalist and former parliamentarian and many other journalists, some of which are from national newspapers.