Former Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Eren Erdem was arrested by the İstanbul 35th High Criminal Court on Friday after he was detained by police the night before over alleged links to the faith-based Gülen movement.
An İstanbul prosecutor had been conducting an investigation into Erdem’s work as a journalist while he was editor-in-chief of the Karşı daily.
Erdem has been accused of “aiding a terrorist organization without membership in it,” “revealing the identity of a secret witness” and “violating the confidentiality of a criminal investigation” in an indictment approved by the court in May.
The Karşı daily had published wiretaps of suspects in a police investigation into then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s close circle on accusations of bribery and corruption in 2013.
Erdem’s passport was confiscated by police at an İstanbul airport in May following issuance of the indictment, which seeks from nine years, six months to 22 years in prison.
CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, in response to the arrest on Friday said, “One has to expect anything in a dictatorial regime.”
“The court has ruled that Eren Erdem’s trial will be on Sept. 19,” Kılıçdaroğlu told reporters.
