Turkish press under oppress

Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener were the last two Turkish journalist sent to prison with the accuse of being a member of terror organisation, while the total number of journalists in jail reaches 63 in the country. According to Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), a French journalism advocate group, Turkey ranks 138th in 178 countries in press freedom index last year. Turkey shown as an example for Egypt is now discussing whether Egypt could be an example for Turkey.
Thousands of Turkish journalists made a demonstration on 4th of March Friday in Istanbul's Taksim Square to ask for the release of their colleagues taken under custody a day ago reminding the people in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt. A day later hundreds of them waited for 18 hours in front of the court bulding where two journalists interrogated by the prosecutor and the judge on 5-6th of March all through saturday evening and sunday morning. After the longest of its kind 15 hour long interrogation, the duty judge decided their detention and send them to prison. But neither the judge nor the prosecutor who later made a press statement -first of its kind- that there were evidences for the detention decision, did not mention what those evidences were, calling them classified information. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan immediately after the journalists were taken under custody asked the prosecutor's office to declare clearly what the evidences were to satisfy the public. But even detained Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener, together with their lawyers never had the chance learn information what those strong evidences were. Only the judge and the prosecutor knows them while the prosecutor asked the public to trust them.
The public in Turkey is now divided into two opposing and highly polarised parts. While the people who supports the government accuses the other part for supporting Ergenekon suspects and trying to topple the pro islamist government with a military coup. While the opposition accuses the government for having a hidden agenda to form a islamic rule dismissing the secular system. The disscussion raises tensions as the ruling AKP is seeking a third term in power in the coming elections on 12th of June. The recent 18th wave of Ergenekon investigation arrests aimed the journalists started the most fierce discussion whether Turkey were moving towards fear society.
Some of the media published the declaration by the prosecutor's office without any questioning, legitimazing the detain decision. While others were sceptical of the decision reflecting the Ergenekon case in their pages as a investigation started to crack down on military coup attempts during the ruling AKP government and turned out to be an instrument to silence the opposition.
Nedim Sener had written nine books about corruption and the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, exposing the relation between the Ergenekon suspects and the pro government Fettullah Gulen group member police officers, -an islamist group organised in Turkey and financing and managing some thousand schools all around the world. The prosecutor that interrogated the two journalist is also conducting the Ergenekon investigation, accused of being a member and having ties with the same islamist group.
The other journalist Ahmet Sik, wrote two books about the Ergenekon Case, in which one named as "The guide to understand the Ergenekon Case". Sik was also investigating the Fettullah Gulen group's organisation and ties in the police force. He was to publish a book named as "The Army of Fettullah" which was about the Gulen organisation in police, if he were not put in jail.
Both regrets to be a member of a organisation who aims to topple the government with a military coup. Nedim Sener was also tried in anothercourt because of his latest book "Hrant Dink Murder and Intelligence Lies" with a demand of 28 years of prison sentence while the murderer of Hrant Dink is in court with half of his sentence, only 14 years.
Sik and Sener's colleagues made a sit down protest on the road while two journalist were taken to prison from the court building which used to be the home of former State Security Court which were dissolved with the reforms on the road to EU membership. The government which lost its keen promise for the EU membership is now accused of using the Ergenekon case to silence any opposition attemps rather than coup as well as forming a civilian dictatorship. Political party leaders, former generals, academicians and journalists from different political affiliations now are in the same prison with the same kind of accusations, being a member of terrorist organisation Ergenekon and supporting military coup. Many believe Ergenekon case is the corner stone for democratization of the country against once upon a time the strong generals of the army which was the strongest force in Turkish politics before the AKP government. But the case targeting non governmental organisations, journalists, academicians and politicians seems to polarise the country bringing the public to question the justice in the society. Journalists seems to lost their trust and belief in the justice system which they see it conquered by the Gulen group like the education ministry and police. The Gulen group moves embarrasses some of the members of the government including the prime minister. Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener were the last two victims of freedom of thought and expression in Turkey's high tension power struggle. Daily Cumhuriyet's Ankara representative and columnist Mustafa Balbay is in prison for over 300 days. and no one knows how long he will stay there like other 63 Turkish journalists.