The ex-editor-in-chief of government-critical Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet, can Dündar, who is living in exile in Germany, is now to be made in Turkey for espionage allegations as well. The Supreme Court in Ankara raised an earlier judgement against Dündar, as state news agency Anadolu reported.

The n editor-in-chief was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison in May 2016 for secret treason, but was acquitted of accusation of espionage. Dündar had appealed against verdict. After being set free during revision process, he travelled to Germany in July 2016. In texts and interviews he repeatedly expresses critically about policy of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The Supreme Court has now found that a new procedure against Dündar must be extended to criminal offence of espionage. According to Anadolu, Dündar threatens 15 to 20 years of imprisonment. The background of procedure is a newspaper report from 2015, in which Cumhuriyet published secret information, which was to prove government's arms supply to rebels in Syria. The Cumhuriyet capital of office chief Erdem Gül was accused toger with Dündar and was also sentenced to five years in prison for secret treason. Anadolu reported that Supreme Court did not raise espionage charges against Gül.

Can Dündar writes a weekly column in time about crisis in Turkey. The time and time online publish episodes in German and Turkish language.

Date Of Update: 10 March 2018, 12:03