Bloomberg reporters face jail for reports on Turkish crisis

ANKARA, Turkey – U.S.-based Bloomberg news agency says Turkish prosecutors are seeking up to five-year jail terms for two of its Istanbul-based reporters over their report on last year’s currency crisis.

Bloomberg said late Thursday that Kerim Karakaya and Fercan Yalinkilic have been accused of trying to undermine Turkey’s economic stability over a story they wrote in August 2018.

The news agency also says that prosecutors have charged 36 others for their social media comments on the story because they deemed them to be critical of Turkey’s economy.

Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait condemned the indictment and defended the reporterse for reporting “fairly and accurately on newsworthy events.”

He added that the agency will “support them throughout this ordeal.”

The first hearing of the trial is scheduled for Sept. 20.