Turkey- Turkish president criticizes release of journalists

2/28/2016 6:48:18 PM

(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) >Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday criticized a court decision to free two journalists accused of spying.

Can Dundar and Erdem Gul senior journalists at the Cumhuriyet newspaper were released from jail Friday after the Constitutional Court decided their rights had been violated. They were arrested in November over allegations including espionage attempting to overthrow the government and supporting terrorism.

“I keep silent [on] the decision of the Constitutional Court but do not abide by the decision” Erdogan said. “In my opinion [the] media should not have unlimited freedom. There is no absolute freedom anywhere in the world media as well.”

Speaking at a news conference at Ataturk International Airport ahead of a visit to west Africa the president said he always supported freedom of speech but denied the case was linked to freedom of speech but concerned espionage.

Dundar the newspaper’s editor-in-chief and Gul its Ankara bureau chief were arrested after the newspaper published images purportedly showing shells and ammunition loaded on Syria-bound trucks belonging to Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT).

They have been held on remand awaiting a trial expected to start next month.

Erdogan will visit Ivory Coast Ghana Nigeria and Guinea during his trip.

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