Turkish Authorities Detain 13 Academics and Journalists Linked to Jailed Activist Osman Kavala

Turkish police detained 13 academics and journalists on November 16, 2018, in raids across Istanbul and other parts of the country. These individuals are suspected of having connections to jailed human rights activist Osman Kavala. Authorities are questioning them about their involvement with the Anatolia Culture Association, an organization founded by Kavala to promote tolerance and minority rights. The government alleges the group has agitated against the state and played a role in the 2016 attempted coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Kavala himself was arrested in 2017 and remains imprisoned without formal charges. Since the failed coup, thousands of journalists, academics, writers, artists, and activists have been detained or questioned in Turkey as part of efforts to suppress dissent. The arrests highlight ongoing tensions between civil society and state authorities in Turkey.