An Istanbul court ordered the temporary closure of daily Özgür Gündem on Aug. 16 for conducting alleged propaganda on behalf of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
According to the statement, the daily’s closure was demanded for repeatedly making propaganda on behalf of the PKK and acting as the media organ of the organization.
Özgür Gündem has been repeatedly closed down in the past. The daily started a campaign on May 3 called “editors-in-chief on duty” to foster solidarity and defend press freedom against a number of investigations it has faced.
However, an Istanbul court ordered the arrest of three campaigners, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Erol Önderoğlu and Ali Nesin on charges of “making terror propaganda” after they served as guest editors during the campaign but they were later released.
