A Istanbul court has placed under arrest nine journalists on suspicion of links to the alleged mastermind of the failed 2016 coup, the latest in a series of measures against Turkish media workers. Turkish authorities had on August 10 issued arrest warrants for 35 media employees accused of using the Bylock messaging app allegedly used by US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen to mobilize followers in Turkey and of belonging to a “terror” group. A total of 11 were detained at the time and late on Wednesday an Istanbul court placed nine under arrest ahead of trial and released two under judicial supervision, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Among the nine remanded in custody is the website editor at the leftist opposition Birgun daily Burak Ekici and the former news editor of the TV channel of Turkish football side Fenerbahce, Yasir Kaya.

Turkey and Iran have agreed to boost military cooperation after talks in Ankara this week between the Iranian armed forces chief of staff and Turkish leaders, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s spokesman said on Thursday. Erdogan, his defense minister and military chief of staff met Iranian General Mohammad Baqeri on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was the first visit to Turkey by the head of Iran’s military since the 1979 revolution, Turkish media said. Spokesman Ibrahim Kalin also said the US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis would visit Turkey within days. media agencies