Turkish authorities arrested two magazine editors on Tuesday in yet another government move to restrict media in Turkey.
The editors of Nokta were arrested after the publication of the magazine's 24th issue, which an Istanbul court said encourages people to commit crime. The court also ordered that the issue be confiscated.
The Nokta cover featured President Recep Tayyip Erdogan alongside the words "The beginning of Turkey’s civil war."
HIZLI BAŞLADILAR NOKTA dergisinin bu haftaki sayısına "toplatma kararı..." https://t.co/kwFvyFMbuM pic.twitter.com/ZkFtZ9BMuC— NOKTA (@noktadergi) November 2, 2015
Nokta Editor-in-Chief Cevheri Güven, who was arrested along with news editor Murat Çapan, said the cover meant to reference the newly elected government.
Nokta editors arrested by İstanbul court over post-election cover https://t.co/18nKSApDDe pic.twitter.com/cQafmL9qAE— Cihan Dış Haberler (@Cihan_Dishaber) November 3, 2015
Turkey held a hasty general election on Nov. 1, just months after Erdogan's AK Party lost full control of the government during a general election in June.
But nearly 50% of voters cast ballots for Erdoğan's AK Party on Sunday in a surprise victory that brought them back to power, though some have accused the AK Party of fraud.
Güven said the magazine had designed the cover before the election, thinking Turkey would again elect a coalition government, according to Hurriyet Daily News. A coalition government was likely to struggle for power, thus the "civil war" headline.
A September issue of Nokta featuring Erdoğan snapping a selfie next to a Turkish soldier's coffin also got the magazine in trouble. Police raided the magazine's headquarters, confiscated the issue, and briefly detained Çapan.
Reports: Police storm Nokta Magazine HQ in #Istanbul after new cover was released - @Istanbul_Indy @noktadergi pic.twitter.com/fpA1Oo15GD— Conflict News (@Conflicts) September 14, 2015
This latest confiscation follows an October police raid on two Turkish TV stations owned by opposition media group Koza-Ipek Holding. The company has ties to Fethullah Gulen, a United States-based moderate Islamic cleric and Erdoğan rival. Police seized control of the stations just days before the general election.