AKP Opponents Senior Columnist, Workers’ Party Leader, Former University President Taken Into Custody In Early Morning Raids

The chief columnist and chairman of the board of trustees of the reputable center-left Turkish daily Cumhuriyet, the 83 year old Ilhan Selcuk was taken into custody at 4:00 AM today from his home - for alleged links to an illegal gang accused of planning a military coup. Media organizations are condemning the move.

In simultaneous raids, Chairman of the Workers’ Party Dogu Perincek and the former president of the Istanbul University Professor Kemal Alemdaroglu were also detained for the same suspicions.

Cumhuriyet is among the strongest critiques of the AKP government in Turkish media.

Source: Hurriyet, Milliyet, Vatan, Turkey, March 21, 2008

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