Turkish journalists arrested for reporting intelligence officer's funeral

Two Turkish journalists face jail terms for publishing news of the funeral of a Turkish intelligence officer reportedly killed in Libya.

Odatv news editor Baris Terkoglu and reporter Hulya Kilinc were detained earlier this week after a video was published on the news website claiming to show the officer's quiet burial.

Authorities charged Terkoğlu with three counts of illegally obtaining and disseminating documents relating to intelligence activities, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reported. Kilinc's charges have not yet been determined.

The journalists were taken to an Istanbul court on Wednesday which formally arrested them on suspicion of disclosing the identity of an intelligence agency official, AFP reported.

Odatv published the officer's first name and the initial of his last name, according to CPJ. The story also said that the officer was killed in Libya last month. Photos of the officer and his funeral accompanied the story.

The officer's name was previously mentioned by a Turkish parliamentarian in a press conference and reports in other news outlets, the CPJ said.

Terkoglu previously served 19 months in jail from 2011 to 2012 on accusations of taking part in an alleged plot to topple the government, according to AFP.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the deaths of "a few" Turkish soldiers in Libya last month.

Turkey sent military personnel to support the Government of National Accord in Tripoli against rogue Libyan General Khalifa Haftar.



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