Ekrem Dumanlı

Ekrem Dumanlı
Born1964 (age 61–62)
Yozgat, Turkey
Alma materIstanbul University
OccupationsJournalist, writer
Known forEditor in chief of daily Zaman

Ekrem Dumanlı (born 1964) is a Turkish newspaper executive. From 2001 until its closure by the government in 2016, he was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Zaman, one of the most circulated newspapers in Turkey.[1][2] He was also the chief executive officer of its English-language version, Today's Zaman.[3]

Dumanlı graduated from the Department of Turkish Language and Literature at Istanbul University and worked for a time as a teacher of literature. He has also held a teaching position at Fatih University in Istanbul.[4]

In 1993, he started working as a reporter for the Culture and Art Desk of Zaman. He was later assigned as Culture and Art Desk editor and publication coordinator. In 1997, Dumanlı went to the United States to further his studies in the media, completing his master's degree at Boston Emerson College. Returning to Turkey in 2001, Dumanlı was appointed editor-in-chief of Zaman.

His articles have also been published by the foreign press, including "The Turkey-U.S. Divide" by the Los Angeles Times.[5] A play he wrote, titled The Last Trial, was performed on stage. Dumanlı is a member of Medya Derneği (Media Association), the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), the Türkiye Yazarlar Birliği (Turkish Writers Union), and the BJK Sports Club Congress.

Dumanlı was listed in Georgetown University's list of The 500 Most Influential Muslims in 2009. he is a known member of the Gulen Movement.[6][7]

Works

  • 28 Şubat gölgesinde Amerika (2003)[8]
  • Medya: makasların gölgesinden ilkelerin zirvesine (2003)[9]
  • Son duruşma (2005)[10]
  • Üç mesele: iktidar, medya, Ergenekon: 2007–2008 Pazartesi mektupları (2008)[11]
  • Anlık Hikâyeler (2009)[12]
  • Sinemaya farklı yerden bakmak (2009)[13]
  • Konuşma zamanı (2014)[14]
  • Âlimler ve zalimler (2014)[15]
  • Kapımıza dayanan tehlike: yobazlaşma (2015)[16]
  • Time to Talk: An Exclusive Interview with Fethullah Gülen (2015)[17]

2014 Arrest and criticism of government

On 14 December 2014 Turkish police arrested more than two dozen senior journalists and media executives on charges of "forming, leading and being a member of an armed terrorist organization." Among those now detained was Dumanlı, who was serving as editor-in-chief of Zaman. The arrested were people associated with the Gülen movement. The Turkish government accuses the movement of infiltrating the police and judiciary. Police arriving at 7.30 a.m. at the newspaper's office were greeted by scores of protesters shouting "a free media cannot be silenced." Police retreated only to reappear in the afternoon when Dumanlı gave himself up voluntarily.

A statement by the US State Department drawing attention to raids against media outlets "openly critical of the current Turkish government", cautioned Turkey not to violate its "own democratic foundations".[18] EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn said that the arrests went "against European values" and "are incompatible with the freedom of media, which is a core principle of democracy".[19]

On 19 December 2014 a court ordered that Dumanlı and seven others to be released due to lack of evidence. Thousands gathered outside Çağlayan Courthouse in İstanbul to show support for the detained journalists and police officials. While crowds celebrated the release of Dumanlı in the courtyard of the courthouse, they protested the arrest order for Samanyolu TV General Manager Hidayet Karaca and former police chiefs Tufan Ergüder, Ertan Erçıktı and Mustafa Kılıçaslan.[20]

Ekrem Dumanlı wrote for The Washington Post about his arrest process and obstacles about freedom of press in Turkey, where he said "My newspaper, Zaman, and I are just the latest victims of Erdoğan's witch hunt", blaming Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for his arrest.[21]

Many international press freedom organizations and European institutions described the cases against Dumanlı and other journalists as politically motivated and linked to a broader crackdown on independent media in Turkey.[22][23] Dumanlı has consistently denied the accusations against him, stating that his arrest and the closure of Zaman were part of a wider campaign against critical journalism.[24] He has portrayed the proceedings as violations of due process and freedom of expression in articles and public statements published abroad.[25]

References

  1. ^ "Contact - Zaman". zaman.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-07.
  2. ^ Celik, Emre; DC, Washington (2014-03-07). "Fethullah Gulen: From Izmir to the Global Hizmet Movement". HuffPost. Retrieved 2025-10-18.
  3. ^ "Contact - Today's Zaman". todayszaman.com. Archived from the original on 2014-10-20.
  4. ^ Helen Rose Fuchs Ebaugh (1 December 2009). The Gülen Movement: A Sociological Analysis of a Civic Movement Rooted in Moderate Islam. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-1-4020-9894-9.
  5. ^ "The Turkey-U.S. Divide". Los Angeles Times. 8 June 2005. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  6. ^ "The 500 Most Influential Muslims" (PDF). The Book Foundation, UK. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 April 2025.
  7. ^ "Turkish figures rank high on list of world's most influential Muslims". Today's Zaman. 21 November 2009. Archived from the original on 2014-04-27. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  8. ^ Dumanlı, Ekrem (7 January 2003). 28 Şubat gölgesinde Amerika (in Turkish). Zaman Kitap. ISBN 9789758578207. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  9. ^ Dumanlı, Ekrem (June 2003). Medya: makasların gölgesinden ilkelerin zirvesine (in Turkish). Zaman Kitap. ISBN 9789758578375. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  10. ^ Dumanlı, Ekrem (7 April 2005). Son duruşma (in Turkish). Zaman Kitap. ISBN 9789758578672. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  11. ^ Dumanlı, Ekrem (October 2008). Üç mesele: iktidar, medya, Ergenekon: 2007–2008 Pazartesi mektupları (in Turkish). Pandora books. ISBN 9786055799007. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  12. ^ Dumanlı, Ekrem (August 2009). Anlık Hikâyeler (in Turkish). Everest Yayınları. ISBN 9789752896154. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  13. ^ Dumanlı, Ekrem (1 October 2009). Sinemaya farklı yerden bakmak (in Turkish). Zaman Kitap. ISBN 9786055799120. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  14. ^ Dumanlı, Ekrem (1 June 2014). Konuşma zamanı: Fethullah Gülen Hocaefendi'nin tarihi röportajı (in Turkish). Kaynak Kültür Yayın Grubu. ISBN 9786051580357. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  15. ^ Dumanlı, Ekrem (17 November 2014). Âlimler ve zalimler (in Turkish). Kaynak Kitaplığı. ISBN 9786051580593. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  16. ^ Dumanlı, Ekrem (9 November 2015). Kapımıza dayanan tehlike: yobazlaşma (in Turkish). Zaman Kitap. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  17. ^ Dumanli, Ekrem (7 April 2015). Time to Talk: An Exclusive Interview with Fethullah Gülen. Blue Dome Press. ISBN 9781935295617. Retrieved 9 September 2025.
  18. ^ "In Turkey, police arrest journalists and executives". CNN. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  19. ^ "Turkey media arrests: Mogherini leads EU criticism". BBC. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  20. ^ "Court rules for release of Zaman chief editor, Samanyolu manager arrested". Today's Zaman. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  21. ^ "Turkey's Zaman editor Ekrem Dumanli writes for Washington Post". salihsarikaya.com/en/. Archived from the original on 2015-01-02. Retrieved 2015-01-02.
  22. ^ "Turkey: Journalists on trial". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  23. ^ "European Parliament resolution on Turkey – media freedom". European Parliament. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  24. ^ "My newspaper, Zaman, and I are just the latest victims of Erdoğan's witch hunt". The Washington Post. 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
  25. ^ "Police, journalists arrested in Turkish opposition crackdown". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2025-03-08.
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