Expression Interrupted

Journalists and academics bear the brunt of the massive crackdown on freedom of expression in Turkey. Scores of them are currently subject to criminal investigations or behind bars. This website is dedicated to tracking the legal process against them.

Freedom of Expression and the Press in Turkey - 390

Freedom of Expression and the Press in Turkey - 390

Yeni Yaşam employee Hamdullah Bayram jailed; Religious Affairs employees destroy foreign journalists’ equipment; DW Turkish service operating license not renewed; RTÜK fines 5 TV channels

 

Yeni Yaşam employee Hamdullah Bayram jailed

Hamdullah Bayram, an employee of Yeni Yaşam newspaper, who was facing an investigation and an arrest warrant along with 11 other press members who work for the Mezopotamya News Agency (MA) and JinNews, was jailed pending trial on 20 March 2023.

 

Bayram was taken into custody on the evening of 16 March. The public prosecutor who took his statement referred Bayram to a criminal judgeship of peace, seeking his imprisonment pending trial. The judgeship ruled to jail Bayram and sent him to the Sincan Prison.

 

Religious Affairs personnel seize Greek journalists’ equipment, destroy their cameras

Religious Affairs Directorate personnel confiscated the equipment belonging to three Greek journalists who were in Turkey to cover rescue and relief efforts in the aftermath of the deadly earthquakes of 6 February 2023. The equipment was later returned to the journalists but was reportedly broken.

 

Freelance journalists Kyriakos Finas, Victoras Antonopoulos and Konstantinos Zilos were covering the mass burial sites near the Narlıca neighborhood in the Antakya district of Hatay province on 16 February. Several personnel from the Religious Affairs Directorate and the military who were working in the area reportedly warned the journalists against recording footage of the area. Zilos, who was ahead of the group, failed to hear the warning and continued taking pictures of the mass grave. The journalists were then taken to an administrative center belonging to the Religious Affairs Directorate, where officials confiscated their cameras and other professional equipment.

 

Upon contacting the Presidential Directorate of Communications’ Adana Regional Manager Ali İmran Turgut on 17 February the three journalists were told that they could collect their confiscated equipment at the Religious Affairs administrative center. The journalists stated after receiving their equipment that their three cell phones and two cameras, approximately costing a sum of 4,500 euros, had been broken.

 

Deutsche Welle Turkish service operating permit not renewed

German news outlet Deutsche Welle (DW) will shut down its Turkey office because the Ministry of Industry and Technology refused to extend the media outlet’s license to operate in the country.

 

An application DW had filed in February for the extension of its two-year operating license was reportedly denied by the Ministry about 10 days ago under orders from the Presidential Directorate of Communications on the grounds that DW had chosen an incorrect field of activity in its application. As per the decision, DW will shut down its office in Turkey and its employees will continue working remotely.

 

Access to DW’s website from Turkey has been blocked since last year on the grounds that the German media outlet failed to apply for a broadcasting license from the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK).

 

Broadcasting watchdog RTÜK fines 5 TV channels

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) imposed a 5 percent administrative fine and an additional five-time program suspension penalty on Halk TV on account of a recent broadcast in which Selahattin Demirtaş’s latest book, “Dad,” was promoted. İlhan Taşcı, a RTÜK member elected from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) quota, announced the Council’s decisions on his Twitter account. The channel was fined for allegedly “praising a criminal offender.”

 

RTÜK also imposed a 5 percent administrative fine and an additional five-time program suspension penalty on Show TV for scenes depicting violence against women in a recent episode of a series.

 

Halk TV was imposed an additional 3 percent administrative fine for a televised statement by Turhan Çömez, chief advisor to Good (İyi) Party leader Meral Akşener, during an episode of the show “Kayda Geçsin,” in which he claimed that patients on ventilators in İskenderun district had died because the power generators were out of order.

 

RTÜK also imposed a 3 percent fine on Fox TV for alleged “defamation” on account of televised commentary criticizing the Şanlıurfa Metropolitan Municipality for its failure to prevent construction around the riverbed and to carry out rehabilitation work despite the international funding the city had received.

 

RTÜK also gave Tele 1 TV a 3 percent administrative fine for remarks by commentators Merdan Yanardağ and Emre Kongar, who called the AKP a fascist political party and criticized the ban on the feminist march in an episode of the show “18 Dakika.”

 

RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin announced in a statement on 18 March that the Council had launched an investigation against Halk TV on account of their “provocative social media posts.”

 

In the meantime, RTÜK delivered formal notice of its 22 February 2023 decision to impose an administrative fine on Yıldız EN TV on account of the channel’s broadcasts about the deadly earthquakes of 6 February. The channel was fined TL 85,738.

 

AFP photojournalist Bülent Kılıç to stand trial for “resisting” violent detention

Agence France-Presse (AFP) photojournalist Bülent Kılıç, who was violently detained by the police as he was covering the 19th Istanbul Pride March on 26 June 2021, is now charged with “resisting [law enforcement] to prevent the performance of their duty” (TCK 265) and “insulting a public official” (TCK 125/3) in a new indictment.

 

The indictment, issued on 16 March 2023, was recently accepted by the Istanbul 19th Criminal Court of First Instance. The court has yet to set a date for the first hearing.

 

During the violent intervention on Mis Sokak in Beyoğlu, police had pushed Kılıç to the ground, cuffed his hands behind his back and one officer had stepped on the journalist’s neck with his knee, preventing him from breathing. A criminal complaint was filed against two of the officers on 4 August 2021 on the allegations of “damage to property” (TCK 151) and “intentional injury through excessive use of force” (TCK 256).

 

Journalist Mehmet Ali Erdoğan faces “propaganda” allegation in new investigation

An investigation was launched against journalist Mehmet Ali Erdoğan for a social media post in which he claimed that trucks carrying aid material and construction vehicles from the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government were kept by Turkish authorities in Adıyaman province in the first week of the deadly earthquakes of 6 February 2023.

 

The journalist was called in for questioning over the expression “Kurdistan region” in his social media post for alleged “terrorism propaganda” (TMK 7/2). Erdoğan was released after giving his statement at the Sultangazi District Police Department.

 

Judgeship blocks access to website listing access block decisions

Access to a website launched by the Freedom of Expression Association (İFÖD) listing online access blocking decisions rendered in Turkey was blocked by a decision issued on 20 March 2023 by the Rize Criminal Judgeship of Peace, which cited “violation of personal rights” (TCK 134) as the grounds for its decision.

 

Court rejects compensation case filed by AKP MP against Evrensel

The second hearing of a compensation case filed by AKP Bursa Deputy Mustafa Esgin against Evrensel daily, claiming that a report the newspaper had published based on documents issued by the Court of Accounts was “untrue,” was held on 23 March 2023 at the Bursa 8th Civil Court.

 

The newspaper’s lawyer Devrim Avcı requested that the court reject the case. Issuing its judgment, the court rejected the case. The court’s ruling can be appealed at the Regional Court of Justice.

 

Court of Accounts reports issued in 2021 revealed that the local municipality had allocated seven streets in four different neighborhoods to a hospital owned by the AKP MP and to the Osmangazi Municipality Sports Club as parking lots. Following Evrensel’s coverage of the Court of Accounts report, Esgin filed a lawsuit against the newspaper, seeking TL 100,000 in compensation.

 

Case against journalists Nebiye Arı, Hilal Işık and Yağmur Kaya adjourned

The second hearing of a case in which journalists Nebiye Arı, Hilal Işık and Yağmur Kaya are among 49 defendants charged with “violating the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations” was held on 22 March 2023 at the Ankara 15th Criminal Court of First Instance.

 

The court rejected the lawyers’ requests for the plaintiffs to be heard by the court in the presence of the defendants. Ruling to grant three of the defendants additional time to declare their permanent addresses, the court set 20 September 2023 as the date for the next hearing.

 

The indictment issued on 27 May 2022 accuses the journalists and activists on trial due a protest a group of university students from Izmir wanted to stage in Ankara on 12 December 2021 against high rents and insufficient accommodation in state-run dormitories. The activists are accused on account of the slogans they allegedly shouted during their detention by the police and the social media posts shared by the Barınamıyoruz collective. Journalists Nebiye Arı, Yağmur Kaya and Hilal Işık, who were covering the intervention, were also taken into custody by the police and later released.

 

Lawsuit filed by AKP MP against İzel Sezer and Doğan Ergün begins

A compensation case filed by AKP lawmaker Ali İhsan Arslan against İleri Haber Editor-in-Chief İzel Sezer and the news portal’s former chief editor Doğan Ergün, alleging a “violation of his personal rights” (TCK 134) on account of a report published in 2021, got underway on 23 March 2023 at the Ankara 20th Civil Court.

 

Ruling for an investigation to determine whether an access block order had been issued for the said news report and the duties the journalists held in the news organization at the time, the court adjourned the lawsuit until 22 June 2023.

 

İleri Haber’s report, published on 25 October 2021 and headlined “Tarım ve Orman Bakanlığında milyonluk ihale oyunu” (Tender worth millions in Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry), reported on allegations regarding AKP Ankara Deputy Ali İhsan Arslan.

 

“Propaganda” case against Osman Akın, Veysi Sarısözen adjourned until July

The 13th hearing of a case in which journalists Osman Akın and Veysi Sarısözen are charged with “terrorism propaganda” (TMK 7/2) on account of their news coverage was held on 23 Mart 2023 at the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court. The journalists did not attend the hearing.

 

Ruling to wait for the execution of the arrest warrant for Sarısözen, the court adjourned the case until 4 July 2023.

 

Case against Ferhat Çelik and Osman Akın gets underway

A new trial in which Yeni Yaşam Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Ferhat Çelik and Responsible Managing Editor Osman Akın are charged with “insult” (TCK 125) and “libel” (TCK 267) got underway on 21 March 2023 at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The accusations stem from the newspaper’s coverage of crime boss Sedat Peker’s allegations regarding Turkuvaz Media Group CEO Serhat Albayrak, who is also the brother of former Minister Berat Albayrak.

 

Akın and his lawyer attended the hearing. Addressing the court for his statement, Akın rejected the accusations and reiterated the statement he gave to the public prosecutor. Akın told the court he did not want to make an additional defense statement.

 

The court decided to wait for the warrant issued for Ferhat Çelik and set 19 September 2023 as the date for the next hearing.

 

Case against Kürşat Yılmaz and Görkem Kınacı begins

A case filed against Evrensel daily’s Concessionaire Kürşat Yılmaz and Responsible Managing Editor Görkem Kınacı on charges of “libel” (TCK 267) and “insult” (TCK 125) got underway on 23 March 2023 at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.

 

The lawyers representing the plaintiff and the defendants submitted letters of excuse. The court set 12 September 2023 as the date for the next hearing.

 

The case is based on a complaint by Turkuvaz Media Group CEO Serhat Albayrak. The accusations stem from two reports Evrensel published on 29 and 31 August 2022.

 

Journalist Sonya Bayık’s trial adjourned until September

The eighth hearing of a case in which journalist Sonya Bayık is charged with “violating the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations” was held on 21 March 2023 at the Batman 1st Criminal Court of First Instance.

 

Bayık and her lawyer did not attend the hearing. Lawyers representing some of Bayık’s co-defendants were present in court.

 

Ruling to wait for the execution of the arrest warrants previously issued for some of the defendants, the court adjourned the trial until 12 September 2023.

 

Prosecutor demands acquittal for Nazan Özcan

The second hearing of a case filed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s former lawyer Mustafa Doğan İnal against journalist Nazan Özcan on the charges of “insult” (TCK 125) and “libel” (TCK 267) was held on 22 March 2023 at the Istanbul 34th Criminal Court of First Instance.

 

P24 monitored the hearing. İnal’s lawyer was present in court while Özcan and her lawyer submitted letters of excuse.

 

İnal’s lawyer asked the court to sentence Özcan as per the indictment.

 

Presenting their final opinion to the court, the prosecutor requested Özcan’s acquittal on the grounds that the content of the report held as evidence for the accusation was within the scope of press freedom and freedom of expression and that it did not contain “insult” or “libel.”

 

İnal’s lawyer requested a continuance for their statement in response to the prosecutor’s final opinion. Granting İnal’s lawyer a continuance, the court adjourned the case until 25 April 2023.

 

Retrial of former Özgürlükçü Demokrasi employees adjourned until June

The seventh hearing in the retrial of former employees of the now-defunct Özgürlükçü Demokrasinewspaper was held on 22 March 2023 at the Istanbul 23rd High Criminal Court.

 

P24 monitored the hearing, attended by Özcan Kılıç, the lawyer representing the journalists. Kılıç requested that the court lift the international travel ban imposed on his clients for the past five years.

 

The court refused to lift the travel ban imposed on the defendants. Ruling to wait for the expert opinion regarding whether the newspaper had supported “terrorist” acts, the court adjourned the case until 12 June.

 

Retrial of journalist Mehmet Güleş begins

The first hearing in the retrial of journalist Mehmet Güleş on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” (TMK 7/2) was held on 21 March 2023 at the Elazığ 2nd High Criminal Court. Güleş and his lawyers, who submitted letters of excuse, did not attend. The court adjourned the trial until a later date.

 

Journalist Medine Mamedoğlu faces investigation for Twitter post

An investigation was launched against Nûjinha reporter Medine Mamedoğlu on the allegation of “inciting the public to hatred and animosity” (TCK 216) on account of a Twitter post in which she had reported about claims regarding a village in Turkey’s earthquake-struck southeast region.

 

Mamedoğlu gave her statement in relation to the investigation, which had been launched in February, recently at a police station, where she had actually gone because her phone had been stolen.

 

Xwebûn newspaper’s Twitter account reinstated

The suspended Twitter account of the Kurdish weekly newspaper Xwebûn was restored following the newspaper’s appeal. Twitter responded: “Following a detailed review, we have found that the account did not violate the Twitter rules, so we opened your account for use again. Your account is now open for use. Thank you for your patience during this process and we apologize for the inconvenience.”

 

Twitter had suspended Xwebûn’s account, which has 29,488 followers, on 22 February, citing “violation of rules.”

 

At least 69 journalists and media workers in prison

Following the imprisonment of Yeni Yaşam employee Hamdullah Bayram, as of 24 March 2023 there are at least 69 journalists and media workers in prison in Turkey, either in pre-trial detention or serving a sentence.

 

The full list can be accessed here.

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