Anti-terror police forces conducted a raid on the office of pro-Kurdish daily Özgür Gündem after Istanbul 8th Penal Court of Peace ordered its closure earlier today.

The journalists inside the office, including chief editor Zana Kaya, and the guests were taken into custody. DIHA reporter Mesut Kaynar is among those detained in the operation. Police also seized the camera of IMC TV which broadcast the raid live.

The journalists detained in the raid were seen to have been battered by police. Those journalists outside the Özgür Gündem office are not allowed to film the scene.

On the other hand, lawyers of the newspaper left the office, reacting to the raid and saying “We cannot be a part of this unlawfulness”.

Names of some of the journalists detained in the operation are as follows;

Günay Aslan, Reyhan Hacıoğlu, Ender Öndeş, Doğan Güzel, Ersin Çaksu, Kemal Bozkurt, Sinan Balık, Önder Elaldı, Davut Uçar, Zana Kaya, Fırat Yeşilçınar. Dicle News Agency (DIHA) reporter Mesut Karnak, İMC TV reporter Gülfem Karataş and İMC TV cameraman Gökhan Çetin.

Police forces continue the search in the office and they reportedly have an order to seize the computers.