The Turkish Interior Ministry added journalist Can Dündar, who was previously sentenced to 27 years and six months in prison on charges of espionage and aiding a terrorist organisation, to the ‘grey’ category of the ‘wanted for terrorism’ list on Friday.
Dündar commented on the Interior Ministry’s decision, saying “It’s a medal of honour. I took it, and I put it on my chest,” on his Twitter account.
People who provide information that can facilitate the arrest of anyone on the grey list can receive a reward of up to TL500,000 ($26,753).
On 29 May 2015, an article entitled “These are the weapons Erdoğan said do not exist” was published in Cumhuriyet daily, where Dündar was working as the editor-in-chief at the time. The article detailed alleged arms shipments that had been made to Syria by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organisation (MIT).
After the article was published, an investigation was launched against Dündar. He was charged with obtaining information about the security of the state, espionage, and propagandising for a terrorist organisation over the case that is publicly known as the “MIT Trucks Case”.
On 23 December 2020, Dündar was sentenced to 27 years and six months in prison on charges of political and military espionage and aiding a terrorist organisation. Dündar has been living in exile in Germany since 2016.
