Journalists Timur Soykan, Barış Pehlivan, Şule Aydın, and Murat Ağırel, who appeared before a judge due to their program on export issues between Turkey and Israel, and gold smuggling, have stated, “In a normal country, journalists would be commended for doing their job because of this story, but in Turkey, we are being prosecuted”

EYLEM SONBAHAR, ISTANBUL

The fourth hearing in the trial of journalists Timur Soykan, Barış Pehlivan, Şule Aydın, and Murat Ağırel on charges of “spreading false information,” “violating the confidentiality of the investigation,” and “insulting the religious values embraced by a segment of the public” was held at the Bakırköy 34th Criminal Court of First Instance on 4 December 2025.

The defendants and their lawyers were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24.

After his identity was verified, Barış Pehlivan presented his defense, stating that the indictment did not specify which elements of the publication in question constituted a crime. Pehlivan said, “We are facing a charge related to the confidentiality of the investigation file. Our source is not the investigation file, but a news source. We have no obligation to reveal our news source. We are accused of providing false information. It is also alleged that we provided false information in our publications about Palestine and Israel. If I had said that there are no commercial or financial relations between Israel and Turkey, I would have spread false information to the public, but I know that then this investigation and trial would not have happened. I provided accurate information,” requesting acquittal.

Timur Soykan, who defended after Pehlivan, emphasized that the news in question was accurate and was part of journalistic activity: “I learned from a news source that the former deputy minister, a member of parliament, and a private secretary were smuggling gold in the VIP lounge at Istanbul Airport. I called former deputy minister Fatih Metin on the phone. I learned directly from him that 60 kilograms of gold had been seized in his private secretary's bag. I also confirmed from my news sources that three MHP MPs were involved in gold smuggling. I reported this on the Kayda Geçsin program on Halk TV. In a normal country, journalists would be congratulated for doing their job because of this story, but as you can see, in Turkey, we are being prosecuted. The incident I reported was confirmed when the MHP demanded the resignation of three MPs. AKP Deputy Chairman Hayati Yazıcı submitted a report on the matter to the Presidency. We know that there is an investigation against Fatih Metin and Yunus Emre Morkoç at the Gaziosmanpaşa courthouse. In summary, our news report is accurate. It is a report made within the framework of press freedom.”

”I exercised my right to ask questions“

Şule Aydın, who stated that she was the person coordinating the flow of the publication in question, said, “There are doubts about how I got involved in this incident. In general, I did not speak much, but only occasionally directed the conversation among the journalists who were speaking. I have formed an opinion on Palestine, and it is a well-known opinion. I exercised my right to ask questions as part of my profession, and I demand my acquittal.“

Finally, Murat Ağırel, who spoke last, said in his defense, “What I said on the program was a statement that innocent people in Palestine were subjected to genocide. The world knows that 58,000 people were killed. It is clear that this is genocide. There are reactions to this in our country as well. The phrase ‘Islamists are obsessed with the green of the dollar’ has been interpreted as a religious value, whereas political Islam is oriented towards political stance, not belief. When you look at all the issues mentioned as breaches of confidentiality, you will see that they are public information. This information and data are shared on the ministry's own website. I do not accept any of the allegations.” 

Hüseyin Ersöz, the lawyer for Barış Pehlivan and Timur Soykan, stated that the indictment was based on fiction, saying, “The publication in question discussed issues of significant public interest. Essentially, three crimes have been attributed. Gold smuggling is a current issue, it has been reflected in the judicial authorities and remains current. According to the data provided on exports between Turkey and Israel, this issue is also current and has been evaluated within the framework of freedom of the press. For the other crime to be established, there must be a threat to public safety, but there is no concrete evidence of this. It is seen that my clients published publicly available sources based on journalistic principles within the element of publicity.” 

Murat Ağırel's lawyer, Enes Ermaner, stated that journalists published the most accurate information they could obtain as news, pointing out that there was a public interest involved. Ermaner said, “There is no information in the file subject to the confidentiality order. It is entirely a journalistic activity,” requesting acquittal. 

Şule Aydın's lawyer, Gamze Pamuk, also said, ”Looking at the details of the indictment, my client asked questions to her colleagues. My client did not produce news, and there is no statement that changes the nature of the case. Publicly available data was shared, and this does not constitute a crime. The indictment is incomplete in terms of legal elements. It is unclear which of our clients' words are attributed to which actions. We are not asking for our client to be given special treatment here, but for the law to be applied.”

The court postponed the case until 22 January 2026, to complete the missing elements.

Background of the case

An indictment was filed against four journalists, including the program's moderator Şule Aydın, over statements made on the program “Şule Aydın ile Kayda Geçsin” (Let it be recorded with Şule Aydın) broadcast on Halk TV on 8 October 2024. The indictment included a transcript of the program and claimed that the limits of criticism, press, and freedom of thought had been exceeded.

Barış Pehlivan and Şule Aydın were charged with “spreading false information” and “violating confidentiality of an investigation,” while Murat Ağırel and Timur Soykan were charged with “spreading false information,” “violating confidentiality of an investigation,” and “publicly insulting the religious values embraced by a segment of the public.”

The charges were based on statements made during the program that former ministers and members of parliament were acting in concert with criminals, and it was alleged that this constituted the crime of “spreading false information.”

Murat Ağırel and Timur Soykan's statements that “Political Islamists worship green” were also cited in the indictment as grounds for the crime of “publicly insulting the religious values embraced by a segment of the public.