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Journalists, police are detained in Turkish raids

People gather in support inside the headquarters of Zaman newspaper in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014, hours after police launched raids in a dozen cities, detaining around 20 people including journalists, television producers and police known to be close to a movement led by a U.S.-based moderate Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen. The government accuses the Gulen's movement, a former ally, of orchestrating an alleged plot to try and bring down the government. It says the group's followers were behind corruption allegations that last year forced four ministers to resign. The placards read: "Free media cannot be silenced!" (AP Photo)
People gather in support inside the headquarters of Zaman newspaper in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2014, hours after police launched raids in a dozen cities, detaining around 20 people including journalists, television producers and police known to be close to a movement led by a U.S.-based moderate Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen. The government accuses the Gulen's movement, a former ally, of orchestrating an alleged plot to try and bring down the government. It says the group's followers were behind corruption allegations that last year forced four ministers to resign. The placards read: "Free media cannot be silenced!" (AP Photo)

By Associated Press 3 min read

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) – Police conducted raids in a dozen Turkish cities Sunday, detaining at least 24 people – including journalists, TV producers and police – known to be close to a movement led by a U.S.-based moderate Islamic cleric who is a strong critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

It was the latest crackdown on cleric Fethullah Gulen’s movement, which the government has accused of orchestrating an plot to try to bring it down. The government says the group’s followers were behind corruption allegations that last year that forced four Cabinet ministers to resign.

Gulen, who lives in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania, denies the accusations.

During a speech on Saturday, Erdogan vowed to “bring down the network of treachery and make it pay.”

EU foreign affair chief Federica Mogherini and Johannes Hahn, commissioner for European enlargement negotiations, said the raids “are incompatible with the freedom of media, which is a core principle of democracy.” They suggested the issue could reflect on Turkey’s bid to join the European Union.