Cumhuriyet daily's editor-in-chief released - media

A court in Istanbul has ordered two journalists for the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper released from prison pending the conclusion of their trial on terror charges.

The court ruled Friday that Cumhuriyet Editor-in-Chief Murat Sabuncu and prominent investigative journalist Ahmet Sik are to be released from pre-trial detention, Anadolu Agency reported.

Anadolu says the court held that the chairman of the newspaper’s executive board, Akin Atalay, should remain in custody.

The next hearing in the trial was set for 16 March and the suspects still face up to 43 years in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors have charged 19 Cumhuriyet employees with “sponsoring terror organizations” that include Kurdish militants and the network of the US-based cleric the Turkish government blames for a July 2016 coup attempt.