21 journalists appear in court in Turkey as part of a sweeping crackdown

ISTANBUL – Twenty-one journalists are appearing in court in Istanbul after being detained as part of a sweeping crackdown following Turkey’s July 15 failed military coup.

Television footage showed police leading the journalists to the courthouse Friday. They are among 42 for whom detention orders were issued Monday, while authorities are searching for those still at large, the state-run Anadolu agency said.

READ MORE: Turkey detains 47 more journalists, executives after failed coup

Turkey declared a state of emergency following the failed coup that caused 290 deaths. Its clampdown targets those suspected of ties to U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom the government accuses of masterminding the plot. Gulen has denied knowledge.

Nearly 16,000 people have been detained over alleged links to the uprising. Tens of thousands of civil servants have been dismissed for alleged ties to Gulen, according to Anadolu.