The editor of a popular opposition newspaper in Turkey has been released in Istanbul after he was arrested on Sunday. However, a Turkish court has ordered the arrest of four people detained in recent raids on a newspaper and a television station affiliated with the U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, a one-time ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan turned foe.
Eight suspects, including Zaman Editor-in-Chief Ekrem Dumanli, have been released, according to a Hurriyet Daily News report.
Dumanli was arrested along with two dozen other journalists and TV producers in the police raids. Although Dumanli has been released, the court issued a travel ban on the newspaper editor.
Ekrem Dumanlı çıkıyor... #GazetecilerSUSMAYACAK pic.twitter.com/As7zCy0rDC— Zaman Gazetesi (@zamancomtr) December 19, 2014
The weekend arrests were the latest crackdown on Gulen's movement, which the government has accused of orchestrating an alleged plot to try to bring it down.
The investigation has been widely condemned as a blow against the free press, drawing criticism from the EU and the U.S. Erdogan has lashed out at the foreign criticism, saying that the investigation is a national security issue of domestic concern.
The government has accused Gulen's movement of orchestrating a plot to try to bring it down. Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, denies the accusations.
The rift between Gulen and Erdogan exploded publicly last December, when members of Erdogan's inner circle were implicated in a corruption investigation that was later dropped. A series of audio recordings and documents purporting to show evidence of vast government corruption also leaked online.
There were reports Friday that Turkey also issued an arrest warrant for Gulen who has lived in Pennsylvania since 1999.
Turkey pro-govt news channels reporting arrest warrant issued for Fethullah Gulen, accusing him of "leadership of a terrorist organization"— Benjamin Harvey (@BenjaminHarvey) December 19, 2014
Turkish media reports court issued a warrant of arrest for the exiled cleric Fethullah Gulen. @medyafaresi: http://t.co/JRwSkYckfK— Zeynep Erdim (@zeynep_erdim) December 19, 2014