Fırat Can Arslan, one of 5 journalists detained this week, jailed pending trial; Ayça Söylemez charged with “marking those involved in the fight against terrorism as a target” in new indictment; journalists covering Akbelen protests assaulted by gendarmerie

 

Journalist Fırat Can Arslan jailed pending trial

 

Five journalists were taken into custody in Ankara, Izmir, İstanbul and Diyarbakır provinces on 25 July 2023 for sharing a report on their Twitter accounts.

 

T24 editor Sibel Yükler, Mezopotamya News Agency (MA) reporters Delal Akyüz and Fırat Can Arslan, bianet editor Evrim Kepenek and freelance journalist Evrim Deniz were taken into custody on account of the report, which was about the recent relocations of the public prosecutor who issued the indictment against 18 journalists arrested in Diyarbakır in June 2022, and his wife, who was a judge on the panel of the high criminal court overseeing the case against the journalists.

 

Yükler, Akyüz, Kepenek, Arslan and Deniz were detained on the allegation of “marking persons assigned with the fight against terrorism as a target” as part of an investigation launched by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. At the courthouses they were brought to, Yükler, Akyüz, Arslan and Deniz gave their statements to the Diyarbakır 2nd Criminal Judgeship of Peace via the judicial videoconferencing network SEGBİS. Yükler, Akyüz and Deniz were subsequently released under judicial control measures in the form of a ban on traveling abroad and a monthly signature obligation. However, Arslan was arrested on the charge of “marking persons assigned with the fight against terrorism as a target” and sent to prison.

 

Kepenek was brought to the İstanbul Courthouse on 26 July 2023, after spending one day in custody. Kepenek was also released under a travel ban and a monthly signature obligation after giving her statement to the Diyarbakır 1st Criminal Judgeship of Peace.

 

For further information, see our report.

 

In a related development, access to the report that is subject to investigation, titled “Gazeteciler davasındaki evli savcı ve hâkimin tayini çıktı” (Prosecutor and judge couple in case against journalists relocated), was blocked by a decision of the Diyarbakır 1st Criminal Judgeship of Peace on 27 July.

 

Constitutional Court: Cases against İhsan Çaralan violated freedom of expression

 

The Constitutional Court has ruled that two cases filed against Evrensel columnist İhsan Çaralan for participating in 2016’s “Editor-in-chief on duty” campaign, which was organized to lend support to the now-defunct Özgür Gündem newspaper, had violated his freedom of expression.

 

Çaralan was charged with “insulting the president” and “praising a crime and a criminal offender” in two separate cases filed against him over an article titled “Aynı yer aynı katil” (same place, same murderer), published in Özgür Gündem on 31 May 2016, when Çaralan symbolically edited the newspaper for one day. Çaralan was sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in prison in the “insulting the president” case while in the other case he was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months. Both sentences were deferred. Çaralan’s lawyers had lodged applications with the Constitutional Court against both sentences.

 

Ayça Söylemez charged with “marking persons assigned with the fight against terrorism as a target”

 

Bianet editor Ayça Söylemez is charged with “marking those involved with the fight against terrorism as a target” in a new indictment issued by the Terror and Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau under the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.

 

The case, launched upon a complaint by Deputy Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek, will be overseen by the İstanbul 29th High Criminal Court. The first hearing of Söylemez’s trial is scheduled for 22 November 2023.

 

The accusation stems from an article Söylemez penned for BirGün daily on 18 February 2020, titled “Yetenekli hâkim bey” (the talented judge), in which she wrote that Gürlek, who was at the time the presiding judge of a high criminal court in İstanbul, oversaw trials against journalist Canan Coşkun, CHP İstanbul Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu, HDP’s former Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Central Committee President Şebnem Korur Fincancı, lawyers from the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD), numerous signatories of the Academics for Peace petition, and the executives and staffers of Sözcü newspaper, among many other high profile trials.

 

Indictment issued against jailed journalist Mehmet Şah Oruç

 

Mezopotamya News Agency (MA) reporter Mehmet Şah Oruç, who has been jailed pending trial since 27 April 2023 as part of an investigation carried out by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, is charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” and “terrorism propaganda” in the newly issued indictment against him. Oruç’s reports and social media posts are held as evidence for the accusations in the indictment.

 

The indictment was initially sent to the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court, which ruled that it had no jurisdiction and sent the file to a court in Bitlis province, where Oruç resides. The indictment was accepted by the Bitlis 2nd High Criminal Court.

 

Journalists covering resistance in Akbelen Forest targeted by gendarmerie

 

On 26 July 2023, gendarmerie forces intervened in a demonstration staged by locals and activists to protect the Akbelen Forest near İkizköy, a village in the Milas district of the southwestern Muğla province, from being cut by Limak Holding for coal mining.

 

Gendarmerie forces blocked Gazete Duvar reporter Cihan Başakçıoğlu and journalist Zeynep Kuray from covering the incident. The journalists were also imposed administrative fines for allegedly “entering a restricted area.”

 

On 28 July, the gendarmerie intervened once again. AFP photojournalist Bülent Kılıç, freelance journalists Berkcan Zengin and Murat Kocabaş were among reporters targeted by the gendarmerie. Video-activist Kazım Kızıl, who has also been covering the Akbelen resistance and the interventions against the demonstrators, wrote on his Twitter account that while he was hit by a shield, Murat Kocabaş was kicked in the groin and Berkcan Zengin’s camera was broken due to water from the water canon.

 

Journalist Seyhan Avşar faces new investigation over article series

 

Halk TV editor Seyhan Avşar announced on her Twitter account on 25 July 2023 that a new investigation had been launched against her for her reporting on children who started using drugs, were subjected to violence, abused, got pregnant and had abortions while under state protection. Avşar’s coverage was based on official investigation reports.

 

Avşar said the investigation against her was launched upon a complaint filed by the Ministry of Family and Social Services.

 

At least 44 journalists and media workers in prison

 

Following Fırat Can Arslan’s imprisonment pending trial on 25 July, as of 28 July 2023 there are at least 44 journalists and media workers in prison in Turkey, either in pre-trial detention or serving a sentence.

 

The full list can be accessed here.