The State Department said Monday it was “deeply concerned” about the Turkish government putting pressure on press freedom following reports that a dozen staffers at the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet were arrested.
State Department spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. supported the Turkish government’s efforts to find who was responsible for the failed coup attempt in July, but said the detention of journalists and the continued shuttering of news organizations is a major problem.
“The United States is deeply concerned by what appears to be an increase in official pressure on opposition media outlets in Turkey,” Kirby told reporters.
As of Monday, 15 media outlets were shut down and 10,00 civil servants were dismissed. In total, 110,000 people have been fired or suspended from their work, and another 37,000 were arrested.
According to the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the journalists were pushing for the coup attempt just before it happened. Turkey remains under a state of emergency following the failed July coup in which more than 270 died.
