Journalist Gülnur Saydam detained after reporting on criminal groups

Gülnur Saydam, a reporter for the daily Cumhuriyet, was detained late yesterday following the publication of her article on rampant criminal activities in İstanbul’s Göktürk neighborhood. 

Saydam was taken to the İstanbul Security Directorate, where she was accused of “publicly disseminating misleading information” due to her report.

Following her statement to the police and a routine health check, the journalist was released from custody.

“If they had called, I would have gone myself, but I was unlawfully taken from my home by prosecutorial order,” Saydam said after her release. “I was released after giving a statement for about four hours. I stand behind my report. I will continue to practice journalism and make the voice of the public heard.”

The article, titled “Citizens struggle for survival amid attacks: Is the new address of gangs Göktürk, İstanbul’s favorite neighborhood?”, detailed allegations of threats and armed attacks alongside the safety concerns of local residents.

The report also included an official statement from the police department, which maintained that there is not a single unsolved crime record in the upper-middle class neighrborhood..