According to FAZ, Erdogan is planning to turn into a "show trial" the case of two Turkish journalists Can Dundar und Erdem Gul who disclosed connections between Ankara and Daesh terrorists and have been put into prison.
The men were arrested in November on charges of "espionage" and "disclosure of state secrets" after publishing an online video depicting a Turkish secret services truck which allegedly transported arms to jihadists in Syria.
The persecution of journalists would discourage other representatives of the press and prevent them from attempts to shed light on the government's activities. The decision on the case of these two reporters could at the same become a "sentence" on freedom of press in Turkey, FAZ wrote.
"The indictment is a massive attack on the freedom of press, it criminalizes investigative journalism and sends a clear message to the country: the Turkish state has the right to conceal its actions and lie, and anyone who dares to oppose it, may face draconian punishments," the newspaper wrote.
According to FAZ, this process will set "new standards" for the Turkish media. If journalists are convicted, the disclosure of the truth about Erdogan and his government will almost become impossible and the country will be one step closer to a dictatorship, the article concluded.
