Turkish journalist Ismail Saymaz placed under house arrest amid Gezi Park protests investigation

Prominent Turkish journalist Ismail Saymaz has been placed under house arrest as part of an investigation related to the 2013 Gezi Park protests, which began as small demonstrations against a shopping mall and evolved into widespread protests against President Erdogan's government. Saymaz was taken into custody for allegedly assisting an attempt to overthrow the government, coinciding with the detention of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges. The prosecutor is scrutinizing Saymaz’s social media activity and communications with defendants in the Gezi Park trials, including Osman Kavala, who is serving a life sentence for various charges tied to the protests. Saymaz has denied the allegations, asserting that his communications were purely journalistic. The crackdown on dissent during the protests resulted in significant casualties and arrests, stirring ongoing debates about press freedom in Turkey. Erdogan's administration has justified the actions against the protesters as necessary for state security, a viewpoint challenged by human rights advocates.