Journalists Turkey free

ISTANBUL – Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener, the two Turkish journalists who had been jailed for their work, will be released Monday evening. A Turkish judge ruled that on Monday. The two became symbols of deteriorating press freedom in Turkey.

Sik and Sener were arrested more than a year ago in the probe into Ergenekon, a shadowy gang within the state and the army that allegedly planned to topple the AKP government of Prime Minister Erdogan. Both journalists actually investigated networks within the state and published revealing articles and books about them.

The international call for the freedom of both journalists intensified the last couple of months. Also the European Union called for their release. The Turkish government didn’t give in, but a jugde now decided there is not enough ground to keep the two men on remand any longer.

Sik and Sener are not done with the justice system yet: they will be released, but the court case hasn’t ended yet. Besides Sik and Sener there are around one hundred other journalists in jail, mostly Kurds.