Former Bugün columnist and Zaman daily reporter Zafer Özcan was arrested on Thursday in the western province of Manisa over links to the faith-based Gülen movement.
Özcan, who has lived in his hometown of Akhisar since the closure by the government of Bugün in February 2016, was detained on a warrant and subsequently arrested by a court.
Many journalists who are under arrest or wanted are accused of links to terrorism due to their affiliation with the Gülen movement. The regime in Turkey accuses the movement of plotting a failed coup in July 2016 and considers anyone with real or alleged links to it terrorists.
According to a 2018 report by Journalists without Borders (RSF), Turkey is the largest jailer of professional journalists in the world. The majority of these journalists are former staff members of the Zaman media group.
