Turkey police raid HQ of major opposition paper

AFP, ISTANBUL: Turkish police have stormed the offices of a leading opposition paper linked to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's arch foe, in the latest crackdown on government rivals. As riot police armed with water cannon massed outside, officers and lawyers searched the Istanbul offices of the Zaman newspaper late Wednesday, the paper said. Zaman said the raid, which followed a similar operation against opposition television stations last month, was a "threat to the free media". The targeted media outlets are linked to Fethullah Gulen, a US-based preacher who was once a key supporter of Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) but has now become the president's greatest enemy. Police launched Wednesday's action after claims that Zaman was printing a "pirate" version of a newspaper belonging to the multi-billion dollar Koza-Ipek conglomerate, whose companies were seized last month as part of a probe into Gulen and his network.

Turkey police raid HQ of major opposition paper

AFP, ISTANBUL: Turkish police have stormed the offices of a leading opposition paper linked to President Recep Tayyip Erdogans arch foe, in the latest crackdown on government rivals. As riot police armed with water cannon massed outside, officers and lawyers searched the Istanbul offices of the Zaman newspaper late Wednesday, the paper said. Zaman said the raid, which followed a similar operation against opposition television stations last month, was a threat to the free media. The targeted media outlets are linked to Fethullah Gulen, a US-based preacher who was once a key supporter of Erdogans Justice and Development Party (AKP) but has now become the presidents greatest enemy. Police launched Wednesdays action after claims that Zaman was printing a pirate version of a newspaper belonging to the multi-billion dollar Koza-Ipek conglomerate, whose companies were seized last month as part of a probe into Gulen and his network.