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Turkey orders 47 newspaper journalists, executives detained

Turkey ordered another 47 journalists detained on Wednesday as part of a sweeping crackdown in the wake of the failed July 15 military coup.

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On Monday media reported that Turkey had issued arrest warrants for the detention of 42 journalists, including well-known commentator and former parliamentarian Nazli Ilicak.

A tiny minority, just 1.5 percent, of the Turkish Armed Forces took part in the failed July 15 coup that claimed hundreds of lives, announced the Turkish General Staff Wednesday, Anadolu Agency reported.

In a statement carried by Turkey’s NTV television, the military said the soldiers belonged to a “terrorist” network led by Fethullah Gulen, a US-based Muslim cleric who has led a religious movement for decades.

It added that 1,676 non-commissioned officers and soldiers, as well as 1,214 military students, joined the plotters.

Istanbul’s counter-terrorism police forces have searched the residences of former Zaman executives and journalists during the early hours of July 27 following a direct order by the deputy public prosecutor, Fuzuli Aydogdu, to detain 47 suspects in the investigation.

Those on the new list were mostly members of the now defunct Zaman newspaper, Turkish officials were quoted as saying by local media.

However, the rebelling servicemen started to surrender July 16 and Turkish authorities said the coup attempt failed.

Kenes was previously accused of insulting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a series of tweets in late 2015.

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Human rights group Amnesty International says it has received credible evidence of detainees being subjected to beatings and torture, including rape, since the coup attempt.

Turkish journalist Nazli Ilicak, also a well-known commentator and former parliamentarian is escorted by a police officer and her relatives after being detained and brought to a hospital for a medical check in Bodrum Turkey July 26