Ahmet Turan Alkan

Alkan, an author and Zaman newspaper columnist, has been facing harassment for his written work since 2016, when he was first arrested as part of the mass crackdown on media in Türkiye following the coup in July. Two years later, in July 2018, Alkan was sentenced to 8 years and 9 months in prison for “membership in a terrorist organization,” but was released pending the outcome of the appeal process. In the final retrial hearing on November 28, 2022, Alkan was sentenced to 2 years and six months in prison for “abetting a terrorist organization without being a member.”