A Turkish court on Friday ordered the controversial trial of two top journalists from the Cumhuriyet daily newspaper be held behind closed doors, an AFP correspondent reported.

Shortly after the proceedings in Istanbul opened, prosecutors asked for the trial of Cumhuriyet's editor-in-chief Can Dundar and its Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gul to be closed to the public.

After a brief adjournment, the judge approved the request, the correspondent said.