Journalists protest in Istabul last week. Police have arrested a number of journalists, in a clampdown on an alleged seditious secularist network. But the hard line may backfire on the government.
Journalists protest in Istabul last week. Police have arrested a number of journalists, in a clampdown on an alleged seditious secularist network. But the hard line may backfire on the government.

Journalists' arrests in Turkey threaten plot investigation



ISTANBUL // The arrest of several Turkish journalists accused of taking part in a coup attempt may undermine the credibility of an unprecedented effort to bring the plotters to justice, observers say.

Yesterday, a court in Istanbul ordered four journalists of a website critical of the government, as well as a writer to be remanded in custody. Last week, the prominent journalists Nedim Sener and Ahmet Sik were also jailed. All are accused of membership in Ergenekon, a right-wing organisation that prosecutors say has plotted to bring down the government by force.

Sahin Alpay, an academic and columnist for the pro-government newspaper Zaman, called on prosecutors to give detailed reasons for the arrests as soon as possible. "Otherwise, claims that the Ergenekon trial is 'being used to silence the opposition media' will gain validity," Mr Alpay warned.

After a warning by Turkey's president and criticism by Turkish media, the EU, and human rights activists, Sadullah Ergin, the justice minister, distanced himself from the arrests. It was too early to comment on the reasons for the arrests, the minister told the Turkish news channel NTV. But he added: "If [the accused] have been taken in only because of their journalistic work, it would be a coup against the press."

In a statement released in Istanbul on Sunday, Zekeriya Oz, the Istanbul prosecutor leading the Ergenekon investigation, denied that the arrests of Mr Sener and Mr Sik were related to "their journalistic work, their writings or their planned writings or books". Mr Oz declined to give detailed reasons, citing the confidentiality of his investigation.

Mr Oz says Ergenekon, a suspected network of military officers and civilian nationalists, plotted to bring down the religiously conservative government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the prime minister. Although Mr Oz started his investigation in 2007 and more than 270 suspected Ergenekon members have been brought to court, there have been no convictions.

The probe into Ergenekon, named after the mythical home of Turks in Central Asia, as well as investigations against several other suspected coup plotters in the armed forces, are major developments for Turkey. The country has seen four governments pushed from power by the generals since 1960.

Some critics of Mr Erdogan say the investigations are part of a campaign to discredit the strictly secular military, orchestrated by the government, which is run by devout Muslims like Mr Erdogan himself. But supporters of Mr Erdogan as well as many independent journalists, liberals and intellectuals have welcomed the investigations as part of an overdue process of strengthening democracy, the rule of law and civilian control over the armed forces.

With the arrest of Mr Sener and Mr Sik, that perception has taken a severe hit, because both have been known as critics of the suspected coup plotters. Mr Sener, a reporter for the Milliyet daily, told prosecutors he had been threatened by Ergenekon suspects himself, newspapers reported yesterday. Mr Sik, a freelancer, is credited with being one of the first Turkish journalists to unveil suspected coup plans.

Commentators have speculated that the arrest of the two reporters may have been an effort to silence them because they were also known for criticising the police. Mr Sener has published a book dealing with shortcomings of the security forces in the murder of Hrant Dink, a Turkish journalist of Armenian descent who was gunned down by a nationalist in Istanbul in 2007. Mr Sik has been working on a book about what he regards as a growing role of an Islamic movement in the police force.

"Journalism itself has been detained," ran the headline of the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet yesterday. After the arrests, journalists staged protest marches in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir. Abdullah Gul, Turkey's president, told Milliyet he was "concerned" and that he expected judges and prosecutors to "act with more sensitivity".

The EU also said it was following developments "with concern", and Human Rights Watch said the arrests would have "a chilling effect on free speech" in Turkey. The arrests were "a disturbing development", Emma Sinclair-Webb, Turkey researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "It raises concerns that what is now under investigation is critical reporting rather than coup plots."

The arrests have shocked those parts of the public that have been supportive of the Ergenekon investigation so far. Hasan Cemal, a leading Milliyet columnist and a prominent supporter of steps to prevent further military coups in Turkey, called the arrests a "blow against press freedom".

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Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

MATCH INFO

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Sevilla 0

Red cards: Ronald Araujo, Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)

Famous left-handers

- Marie Curie

- Jimi Hendrix

- Leonardo Di Vinci

- David Bowie

- Paul McCartney

- Albert Einstein

- Jack the Ripper

- Barack Obama

- Helen Keller

- Joan of Arc

Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
SANCTIONED
  • Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
  • Petr Fradkov, head of recently sanctioned Promsvyazbank and son of former head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, the FSB. 
  • Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President of Russia's largest bank VTB. He is the son of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB which was responsible for the poisoning of political activist Alexey Navalny in August 2020 with banned chemical agent novichok.  
  • Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
  • Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
If you go

The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.

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21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
 

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Essentials

The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Malaysia Airlines all fly direct from the UAE to Kuala Lumpur and on to Penang from about Dh2,300 return, including taxes. 
 

Where to stay
In Kuala Lumpur, Element is a recently opened, futuristic hotel high up in a Norman Foster-designed skyscraper. Rooms cost from Dh400 per night, including taxes. Hotel Stripes, also in KL, is a great value design hotel, with an infinity rooftop pool. Rooms cost from Dh310, including taxes. 


In Penang, Ren i Tang is a boutique b&b in what was once an ancient Chinese Medicine Hall in the centre of Little India. Rooms cost from Dh220, including taxes.
23 Love Lane in Penang is a luxury boutique heritage hotel in a converted mansion, with private tropical gardens. Rooms cost from Dh400, including taxes. 
In Langkawi, Temple Tree is a unique architectural villa hotel consisting of antique houses from all across Malaysia. Rooms cost from Dh350, including taxes.

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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Closing the loophole on sugary drinks

As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.

The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.

Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.

Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
 

Not taxed:

Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.

Venom

Director: Ruben Fleischer

Cast: Tom Hardy, Michelle Williams, Riz Ahmed

Rating: 1.5/5

if you go

The flights
Emirates flies to Delhi with fares starting from around Dh760 return, while Etihad fares cost about Dh783 return. From Delhi, there are connecting flights to Lucknow. 
Where to stay
It is advisable to stay in Lucknow and make a day trip to Kannauj. A stay at the Lebua Lucknow hotel, a traditional Lucknowi mansion, is recommended. Prices start from Dh300 per night (excluding taxes). 

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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now