An Istanbul court on Thursday ordered the release of novelist Asli Erdogan in her trial on terror propaganda charges after over four months behind bars, reports and a friend said.
The court ordered the release under judicial supervision of Erdogan as well as the linguist Necmiye Alpay, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. They remain on trial over their involvement in a pro-Kurdish newspaper, with the next hearing scheduled for January.
As is customary in Turkey, they were not released in the courthouse but taken back to their prison in Bakirkoy in Istanbul to complete formalities.
One of Erdogan's supporters, Aysegul Tozeren, who followed the trial confirmed the release order and said she was expected to walk free later in the evening.
Erdogan will still have to report to police and remains subject to a ban on leaving Turkey, she told AFP.
Supporters were also heading to the Bakirkoy women's prison in anticipation of their release.
A man holds a sign meaning ,Writers' freedom is not guaranteed, outside Istanbul's courthouse on Thursday before the start of the trial of Turkish novelist Asli Erdogan.
