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 - 479

Freedom of Expression and the Press in Turkey - 479

Two journalists acquitted in two cases; Cengiz Erdinç faces “spreading false information” case; case against Yavuz Ekinci dismissed; Ayşenur Arslan to be tried for “propaganda”

Cengiz Erdinç faces “spreading false information” case

A court case was filed against Kısa Dalga contributor and journalist Cengiz Erdinç on the charge of “spreading false information.” Erdinç had been detained and released over his social media posts which quoted from a book.

The Ankara 11th Criminal Court of First Instance, which accepted the case, ruled for incompetence, and conveyed the case file to Ayvalık. The Ayvalık 1st Criminal Court of First Instance, which accepted the indictment, set 7 January 2025 as the date of the first hearing.

Erdinç was detained in a police raid on his home in Ayvalık on 2 November 2023, as part of an investigation run by the Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office. Erdinç was released on 3 November 2023 under the judicial control measures of a ban on travelling abroad and having to sign his name once a week.

Case filed against Ayşenur Arslan on charge of “terrorism propaganda”

A court case was filed against journalist Ayşenur Arslan on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” over the expressions he used on a program broadcast on Halk TV on 2 October 2023, concerning the bomb attack on the Ministry of Interior the day Parliament returned from recess.

A decision not to prosecute was issued on the suspicion of “praising an offense or an offender” concerning Arslan.

Arslan is to stand trial at the İstanbul 14th High Criminal Court.

On the TV program, Arslan said, “Perhaps that person or terrorist who is said to have blown himself up did not know he was carrying explosives with a remote detonator on himself or in the car. It just does not make sense that he should go there and do nothing… They say ‘They were seeking revenge for a PKK terrorist.’ One does not die without doing anything. I think it is all quite strange. He blew himself up just out of the blue. This is something that gave me pause. I could not claim it as fact of course. Just listen to it as a fantasy. But killing the driver of a car… Why a car in Ankara? When it is so easy to break the lock, hotwire it and then drive away with the bomb.”

Journalist Mehmet Murat Yıldırım under investigation on suspicion of “terrorism propaganda”

The Aydın Chief Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation against Özgür Yurttaş news editor and journalist Mehmet Murat Yıldırım on suspicion of “terrorism propaganda” over his X posts following the earthquakes of 6 February 2023.

Yıldırım announced that he had recently become aware of the investigation, which began on 17 October 2024.

The grounds for the investigation were cited as a post featuring a quote from a conversation between Yıldırım and his father and posts about reporting on PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.

Click here for details of the report.

Investigation against Ruşen Takva on suspicion of “spreading false information”

An investigation was filed against journalist Ruşen Takva by the Van Chief Prosecutor’s Office on suspicion of “spreading false information” over Takva’s social media post concerning Turkey’s policy on Kurds in Syria. Takva gave a statement at the Van Directorate of Security on 11 December 2024.

In the X (formerly Twitter) post which was shared on 3 December 2024 and is subject to the investigation Takva wrote, “Kurds in Turkey have a deep-rotted and unshakeable emotional connection with their kin in Syria. Therefore, you cannot make peace with Kurds in Turkey while bombing Kurds in Syria. This goes against all political conventions. Anyone arguing to the contrary is either completely disconnected from reality or is lying outright. This is not the way to societal peace.”

Second “incompetence” ruling in case against Fırat Can Arslan

The Konya Chief Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation against Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporter Fırat Can Arslan in 2022 on suspicion of “praising an offense or an offender.” The chief prosecutor issued a decision for “incompetence” and conveyedthe file to the Kırşehir Chief Prosecutor’s Office.

After being detained as part of the investigation on 7 June 2023, Arslan was released under judicial control measures. During Arslan’s detention, digital materials were examined regarding “terrorism propaganda,” instead of the initial allegation of “praising an offense or an offender.” The prosecutor also ordered an investigation on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization.”

This allegation was not included in the report on Arslan’s statement to the prosecutor’s office. The report read, “as the nature of the crime is unclear and [Arslan] did not know what he was being charged with,” and stated that Arslan had used his right to remain silent.

The Kırşehir Chief Prosecutor’s Office then ruled for “incompetence” and conveyed the file to the Diyarbakır Chief Prosecutor’s Office.

Journalist Furkan Karabay’s trial adjourned until January 2025

The second hearing in the trial of journalist Furkan Karabay on the charge of repeatedly “insulting the president” over his social media posts was held at the İstanbul 74th Criminal Court of First Instance on 13 December 2024.

 

Karabay and lawyers for the parties were present at the hearing, which P24 monitored.

 

Delivering his defense statement following identification, Karabay repeated the statement he had provided during the investigation phase and rejected the impugned crime.

 

Karabay’s lawyer Özge Naz Akkaya said, “There are three news items subject to the case. The first does not name President Erdoğan. The second also does not name the president, but only includes a photograph. As per Court of Cassation rulings, the inclusion of only a photograph is not sufficient to form the elements of the crime of insult. Only the third news item names the president. This one does not include an insult against the president’s person, but criticism of the methods he has adopted in his political life. All three news items are within the bounds of legality under the press’ right to inform.”

 

Co-plaintiff President Erdoğan’s lawyer requested sentencing for Karabay for the impugned crime.

 

The court ruled to inquire into whether there were other cases against Karabay on the charge of “insulting the president” and to carry out the necessary undertakings in between hearings for cases which might possibly be merged. The trial was adjourned until 20 January 2025.

 

Action against BirGün newspaper and Timur Soykan brought by Halkbank begins

The first hearing in the action for damages worth TL 1 million for “harm to commercial reputation” brought by Halkbank against the BirGün newspaper and reporter Timur Soykan over the news item titled “Halkbank’tan mafyaya kredi” (Halkbank provides loan to the mafia”) was held at the Anadolu 6th Commercial Court of First Instance on 12 December 2024.

Soykan and his lawyer Tolgay Güvercin were present at the hearing.

BirGün and Güvercin made a statement about their petition in response to the action.

The court ruled to send the case to a court expert to obtain a report on the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) report and the entire case file.

The next hearing was set for 10 April 2025.

In Soykan’s news item titled “Halkbank provides loan to the mafia,” which appeared in the 5 June 2024 edition of BirGün, it was reported that the MASAK report filed for the Ayhan Bora Kaplan investigation had stated that Kaplan had withdrawn more than TL 550 million from Halkbank alone using shell companies.

Journalist Zeynep Kuray appears in court

The first hearing in the trial of journalist Zeynep Kuray on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” over her social media posts between 2014 and 2023 was held at the İstanbul 26th High Criminal Court on 12 December 2024.

 

Kuray and her lawyer Hazal Sümeli were present at the hearing, which P24 monitored.

 

Kuray delivered her defense statement following identification, rejected the impugned crime and said, “This trial cannot be about propaganda. This trial is about journalistic activities and freedom of expression.”

 

Kuray and her lawyer requested time to examine the case file. The court accepted the request and adjourned the trial until 4 May 2025.

 

The İstanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office had launched an investigation against Kuray upon receiving complaints that the journalist has shared “statements legitimizing armed terrorist organizations, the slogans, flags and banners used by such organizations and the armed actions of such organizations” on social media. The indictment filed as a result of the investigation cited 11 social media posts with news content shared by Kuray between 2014 and 2023 as evidence of the charge.

 

Journalist İnan Kızılkaya ordered to pay judicial fine for “insulting a public official”

The 25th hearing in the trial of journalists Can Dündar and İnan Kızılkaya on the charge of “insulting a public official” was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 12 December 2024.

 

Dündar’s lawyer was present at the hearing, which P24 monitored. Kızılkaya and his lawyer did not attend the hearing.

 

The court ordered Kızılkaya to pay a judicial fine of TL 7,080 for the crime of “insulting a public official.” The court noted that the order for Dündar’s detention had not been executed in a long time, stalling the trial and ruled to separate the case file on Dündar.

 

Click here for details of the report.

 

Yapıcı, Ekmekçi and Altınay’s retrial in the “Gezi case” adjourned until February 2025

The fourth hearing in the retrial of Mücella Yapıcı, Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi and Ali Hakan Altınay on the charge of “violating the Law 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” was held at the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court on 10 December 2024. The 18-year imprisonment sentence handed to the defendants for “aiding an attempt to destroy the government of the Republic of Turkey” had been overturned by the 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation.

 

Yapıcı, Ekmekçi and Altınay’s lawyers were present at the hearing, which P24 monitored. The defendants did not attend the hearing.

 

While the prosecution was expected to deliver their final opinion on the case, due to a temporary assignment, the prosecutor could not deliver the opinion. The trial was therefore adjourned until 11 February 2025.

 

Yağmur Kaya acquitted

The 11th hearing in the trial of journalist Yağmur Kaya and 51 Boğaziçi University students on the charge of “violating the Law 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” was held at the İstanbul 17th Criminal Court of First Instance on 9 December 2024.

While journalist Kaya did not attend the hearing, her lawyer Didare Hazal Sümeli was present.

The prosecutor repeated their final opinion on the case presented at the previous hearing, which requested the acquittal of all defendants.

Defendants present at the hearing said they agreed with the final opinion on the case and requested the acquittal of their clients.

The court ruled to acquit the defendants on the grounds that there was no concrete and credible evidence that they had committed the impugned crime.

 

 

Bülent Kılıç acquitted

The fourth hearing in the trial of photo-journalist Bülent Kılıç on the charge of “insulting a public official” over a complaint filed by for İstanbul Security Branch Director Hanifi Zengin was held at the İstanbul 67th Criminal Court of First Instance on 9 December 2024.

While Kılıç did not attend the hearing, his lawyer Emine Özhasar was present.

Co-plaintiff Zengin’s lawyer requested that Kılıç be sentenced, after which the prosecutor presented their final opinion on the case.

The prosecutor requested Kılıç’s acquital on the grounds that no concrete and credible evidence showing Kılıç had committed the impugned crime could be obtained.

The court ruled to acquit Kılıç on grounds that there was no concrete and credible evidence that they had committed the impugned crime.

Case filed against writer Yavuz Ekinci dismissed

The second hearing in the trial of writer Yavuz Ekinci on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” over his book Rüyası Bölünenler, which was published in August 2014 was held at the İstanbul 23rd High Criminal Court on 9 December 2024.

Ekinci and his lawyers Can Ekinci and Erkan Şenses attended the hearing.

The prosecutor delivered their final opinion on the case and requested sentencing for Ekinci in line with the indictment.

The presiding judge then requested Ekinci’s defense against the prosecutor’s opinion. In his defense statement, Ekinci said:

“I absolutely reject the allegation that I had engaged in ‘terrorism propaganda’ in my novel Rüyası Bölünenler. I am deeply saddened to be here in this way over a novel I wrote and for the rule of the law as a writer who has been so accused. I request that the court consider my novel Rüyası Bölünenler, which was published 10 years ago, in 2014, to come under the freedom of thought and expression as enshrined in the Constitution and the ECHR and to rule for my acquittal. I am not here today to defend myself or my novel. I am here in this courtroom to defend the rights of my readers, whose right to read has been denied.”

After asking Ekinci for a final statement, the court took a five-minute recess. Announcing its verdict afterwards, the court ruled to dismiss the case against Ekinci. The reasoned decision for the dismissal has not yet been conveyed to defense lawyers.

The process leading to the trial of writer Yavuz Ekinci began on 8 February 2023, when the Communications Center of the Presidency (CİMER) received a complaint about the novel. The Terrorism and Organized Crime Investigations Office of the İstanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office then investigated Ekinci on the suspicion of “terrorism propaganda” over his novel Rüyası Bölünenler, which was published by Doğan Kitap in August 2014. Ekinci provided a statement under the investigation on 1 October 2023. The prosecutor’s office completed the investigation on 8 May 2024 and requested sentencing ore Ekinci for the crime of “terrorism propaganda”.

 

At least 28 journalists and media workers in prison

As of 13 December 2024, there are at least 28 journalists and media workers in prison in Turkey, either in pre-trial detention or serving a finalized prison sentence.

The full list can be accessed here.

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