Istanbul court decides to appoint trustees to Gülen-linked Cihan News Agency

The Istanbul 1st Criminal Court of Peace decided late Monday at the request of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to appoint three trustees to Gülen-linked Cihan News Agency and Advertising A.S.

The court said that the trustees are the same authorities who were earlier appointed for Zaman newspaper when it was taken over on Friday and said it will also manage the news agency.

Earlier on Friday, an Istanbul court had decided to appoint trustees for Zaman newspaper which is being accused of supporting a criminal organization led by U.S.-based cleric Fetullah Gülen. The trustees entered the headquarters of Feza Media group, which includes Turkish Cihan News Agency, Today's Zaman and Zaman dailies, Aksiyon magazine along with Zaman Kitap, under police supervision.

On Saturday, contracts of Zaman's editor-in-chief Abdülhamit Bilici and English-language daily Today's Zaman's former editor-in-chief and columnist Bülent Keneş's contracts were terminated.

The company is accused of supporting what is called the Gülenist Terror Organization (FETÖ), headed by U.S.-based preacher Fetullah Gülen, who is said to have infiltrated Turkey's state apparatus with thousands of followers in an effort to overthrow the government.

FETÖ is also known as the parallel state, which designates a clandestine group of Turkish bureaucrats and senior officials, allegedly embedded in the country's institutions, including the judiciary and the police.