Öznur Değer jailed; nine defendants given life imprisonment in Hrant Dink murder retrial; Ahmet Güneş released pending trial; Orhan Bursalı given jail term

Ahmet Güneş released pending trial

Detained journalist Ahmet Güneş was released pending trial on 4 February 2025 after the indictment against him was accepted.

Journalists Necla Demir, Rahime Karvar, Ahmet Güneş, Velat Ekin, Vedat Örüç and Reyhan Hacıoğlu, who were detained in house raids on 17 January as part of an İstanbul-based investigation, were imprisoned pending trial on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization.”

Eylem Babayiğit, who was detained as part of the same investigation, was sent to pre-trial detention on 24 January.

JinNews reporter Öznur Değer imprisoned pending trial

JinNews Reporter Öznur Değer was arrested in a raid on her family home in İpek neighborhood of Mardin's Kızıltepe district on 7 February. In the raid carried out in the morning hours with special operations police officers, the door of the house was broken down and the police entered the house. Öznur Değer was battered and taken out of the house, handcuffed behind her back and taken into a police vehicle.

After the house was searched, journalist Değer's technical equipment was also seized. Değer was taken to the Provincial Security Directorate.

Değer was asked about her news posts and posts about Cihan Bilgin and Nazım Daştan, who were killed in a drone attack on 19 December while they were covering in northern and eastern Syria. 

Journalist Değer was imprisoned pending trial on 7 February.

Tuncay Özkan investigated by prosecutor's office, Sözcü TV investigated by RTÜK

İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation against CHP MP Tuncay Özkan on suspicion of “spreading false information” regarding his speech on prisons in the program “Başkent Kulisleri” on Sözcü TV.

The investigation has been launched over Özkan’s remarks that “there may be political assassinations through the food served or health services provided in prisons.”

Ebubekir Şahin, Chairman of the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), also announced that an investigation had been launched into the program.

“Gezi Park” investigation against the media outlets

The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office sent a letter to the Radio and Television Supreme Council, stating that some media outlets propagandized the Gezi Park protests that took place on 27 May 2013, and thus caused the social events to spread.

For this reason, it requested that the broadcasts of media organizations that made the Gezi Park protests seem legal in the public opinion at that time be identified and a copy of the records be sent to the prosecutor's office. After the file to be prepared by RTÜK reaches the prosecutor's office, those in charge of the identified media organizations may also give statements as suspects before the prosecutor.

Murat Ağırel receives death threat on social media

Journalist Murat Ağırel announced in a post on his X account on 4 February 2025 that he and his family had been threatened with death.

Ağırel said the following: “Unfortunately, I am going to reveal another threat. This time it is not only me, but my whole family. A person, giving a name, says that 'if I interview that person' he will rape my 13-year-old daughter, my wife, my sisters and 'slaughter them like Narin.' This time, like millions of other citizens, I am dealing with threats from a gang that has taken over my identity information and that of my entire family, producing pornographic photos/videos with artificial intelligence and blackmailing them. This gang, which I understand has all our personal information that should be private up to our addresses, sends threatening messages to the phones of all members of my family. I am sharing some of their messages... If the Police Cyber Crimes Unit wants to reach these people immediately... I am sharing them for the record. I want you to see how we journalists live.”

BirGün reporter Sarya Toprak called to give statement

BirGün reporter Sarya Toprak was summoned to testify upon the complaint of Ömer P., who is alleged to have inflicted violence on the victim woman in her news report “Faile değil kadına soruşturma” (Investigation against the woman, not the perpetrator).

 In her statement, Toprak said, “I based my news report on the complaint of the victim woman and the assault report. I did not slander Ömer P.” 

Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office rejects request for “imprisonment of journalists”

Following the release of journalists Barış Pehlivan and Kürşad Oğuz, the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office objected to the decision. The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office requested that Pehlivan and Oğuz be imprisoned pending trial.

The İstanbul 5th Criminal Judgeship of Peace rejected the request for imprisonment, noting that there was no reason to change the judicial control decision.

The İstanbul 71st Criminal Court of First Instance evaluated the decision of the criminal judgeship of peace and emphasized that the decision to place them under judicial control was “measured” and “proportionate” in terms of the scope of the file. The court also rejected the objection of the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which had requested the imprisonment of journalists Pehlivan and Oğuz.

İsmail Arı: “MHP's Levent Uysal insistently asks for my imprisonment” 

Journalist İsmail Arı posted on his X account on 5 February that he was repeatedly summoned to give statement upon the complaint of MHP MP Levent Uysal.

Arı said, “I think I testified for the 8th or 9th time due to MHP MP Levent Uysal's complaint. Now he claims that I founded a criminal organization and wants me to be jailed. I am a journalist! My job is not to establish a criminal organization, but to report on criminal organizations and gangs. Are you setting up a conspiracy?”

Passport of Serhan Asker's daughter also canceled

Halk TV programmer Serhan Asker stated that his daughter's green passport was also cancelled due to his ban on traveling abroad.

Posting on his X account, Asker said, “It means that when his father was banned from traveling abroad, his daughter's freedom of travel was also taken away.”

Access blocked to X account of Artı Gerçek news site

Access to Artı Gerçek news site's social media platform X account was blocked from access on 7 February on the grounds of “protection of national security and public order.”

In the statement made egarding the access block, Artı Gerçek said, “You can access the news content on our website and other social media accounts. As Artı Gerçek, we will continue to provide news.”

Access to Yavuz Baydar's account blocked

Journalist Yavuz Baydar's (@yavuzbaydar4) X account was blocked from access.

Nine defendants given life imprisonment in Hrant Dink murder retrial

The 10th and final hearing in the retrial of public officials for the murder of Agos newspaper Editor-in-Chief Hrant Dink on charges of “premeditated intentional killing” and “violating the Constitution” was held at the İstanbul 14th High Criminal Court on 7 February 2025.

During the hearing, which was monitored by P24, imprisoned defendants Veysal Şahin, Gazi Günay, Okan Şimşek, Osman Gülbel, Yavuz Karakaya, Hasan Durmuşoğlu and Yavuz Karakaya attended the hearing via the judicial videoconferencing system (SEGBİS) from their prisons, while defendants Mehmet Ayhan, Bekir Yokuş, Mehmet Ali Özkılınç, Onur Karakaya, Ali Öz and Volkan Şahin attended the hearing via SEGBİS from their cities of residence. Muharrem Demirkale, who is in  in prison due to another case, and the lawyers of the parties were present in the courtroom.

In the prosecutor's final opinion presented at the hearing on 31 May 2024, the prosecutor had demanded that Veysal Şahin, Okan Şimşek, Gazi Günay, then Trabzon Gendarmerie Intelligence Branch officers Veysal Şahin, Okan Şimşek, Gazi Günay, then Trabzon Gendarmerie Regiment Commander Ali Öz, Osman Gülbel, then Deputy Director of C Branch of the Intelligence Department, Onur Karakaya and Mehmet Ayhan, then Trabzon Security Directorate Intelligence Branch officers, Hasan Durmuşoğlu, the supervisor in charge of the Trabzon Intelligence Branch R bureau and Deputy Branch Manager, and Bekir Yokuş, the officer in charge of the Istanbul Gendarmerie Intelligence Branch Directorate at the time, be sentenced to two times aggravated life imprisonment each for “intentional killing” and “violation of the Constitution;” Muharrem Demirkale and Yavuz Karakaya, non-commissioned officers of the İstanbul Gendarmerie Intelligence Branch Directorate at the time, be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for “deliberate intentional killing.” The prosecutor had asked for the acquittal of former Civil Administration chief inspectors Mehmet Ali Özkılınç, Şükrü Yıldız and Volkan Şahin, then in charge of Trabzon Gendarmerie Intelligence Branch, due to lack of evidence. The case file of Faruk Sarı, the head of Trabzon Police Intelligence Branch at the time, was requested to be separated.

Muharrem Demirkale, who made his defense against the final opinion, said, “I spent 18 years of my 30 years of service in intelligence. In these 18 years, I participated in the operations of all kinds of terrorist organizations. I only did the work of the state in loyalty to the homeland and the nation. I have no relationship with any organization. I say clearly that this case is a conspiracy case. There is no legally valid concrete evidence against me within the scope of this file, nor is there any witness statement against me. Where is the concrete evidence that I knew this murder would be committed? Nowhere. What fault do I have in this incident, which I had no knowledge of, and why am I being tried?”

Demirkale, who was asked for his last word, said, “Whatever you made us go through, you will go through the same.” Imprisoned defendants Hasan Durmuşoğlu, Veysal Şahin, Gazi Günay and Okan Şimşek stated that they were innocent and demanded their release and acquittal. The defendants Osman Gülbel, Yavuz Karakaya, Mehmet Ayan, Ali Öz, Bekir Yokuş, Volkan Şahin, Mehmet Ali Özkılıç, Şükrü Yıldız and Onur Karakaya also asked for their acquittal.

The court acquitted Volkan Şahin, Şükrü Yıldız and Mehmet Ali Özkılınç. The panel sentenced Muharrem Demirkale to life imprisonment for “intentional killing;” Yavuz Karakaya to 12 years and 6 months in prison for “aiding intentional killing;” Bekir Yokuş to life imprisonment for “violating the Constitution” and 10 years in prison for “aiding intentional killing;” Veysal Şahin to 15 years imprisonment for “killing by negligent behavior;” Gazi Günay to life imprisonment for “violating the Constitution” and 25 years imprisonment for “intentional killing;” Okan Şimşek to life imprisonment for “violating the Constitution” and 25 years imprisonment for “intentional killing;” Ali Öz to life imprisonment for “violating the Constitution” and 25 years imprisonment for “premeditated murder;” Mehmet Ayhan to life imprisonment for “violating the Constitution” and 12 years and 6 months imprisonment for “premeditated murder;” Onur Karakaya to life imprisonment for “violating the Constitution” and 12 years and 6 months imprisonment for “premeditated murder;” Osman Gülbel was sentenced to life imprisonment for “violating the Constitution” and 16 years and 8 months for “premeditated murder;” Hasan Durmuşoğlu was sentenced to life imprisonment for “violating the Constitution” and 12 years and 6 months for “premeditated murder.”

The court ruled to jail Bekir Yokuş, Onur Karakaya and Mehmet Ayhan upon the verdict.

The court decided to separate Faruk Sarı's case due to his fugitive status.

Orhan Bursalı handed jail term

The third hearing in the trial of journalist Orhan Bursalı on the charge of “unlawfully obtaining or disseminating personal data” over sharing a person's residence permit document on his social media account during the presidential election period in 2023 was held at the Anadolu 28th Criminal Court of First Instance on 7 February 2025.

Bursalı did not attend the hearing while his lawyer Enes Hikmet Ermaner was present. 

The prosecutor repeated their final opinion and demanded sentencing for Bursalı.

The court sentenced Orhan Bursalı to 1 year and 8 months in prison. The sentence was deferred.

Melek Avcı's trial for “terrorism propaganda” gets underway

The first hearing in the trial of JinNews reporter Melek Avcı on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” was held at theAnkara 19th High Criminal Court on 6 February 2025.

Journalist Melek Avcı and her lawyer Şevin Kaya attended the hearing.

Melek Avcı, who made her defense after the identification, listed the content of the news articles that are cited in the indictment and said, “The indictment includes news on statements by international organizations, anti-ISIS statements, Rojava Day celebrations and evaluations on the use of chemical weapons. Even a news post containing a ministry's response to a parliamentary question has been made a subject of accusation.”

Lawyer Şevin Kaya stated that her client Melek Avcı was being tried over her journalistic activities and demanded acquittal.

The court adjourned the trial until 29 April 2025 for the prosecutor to prepare their final opinion on the case.

Singer Ferhat Tunç's trial adjourned until May

The 20th hearing in the trial of singer Ferhat Tunç on the charge of “inciting the public to hatred and hostility” was held at the Büyükçekmece 4th Criminal Court of First Instance on 5 February 2025.

No one attended the hearing.

The trial was adjourned until 7 May 2025.

Court orders for Furkan Karabay to be brought by force

The first hearing in the trial of journalist Furkan Karabay on charges of “insulting the president,” “insult” and “defamation” upon the complaints of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, his sons Bilal Erdoğan and Ahmet Burak Erdoğan as well as his daughter Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar held at the İstanbul 56th Criminal Court of First Instance on 5 February 2025.

Karabay did not attend the hearing and his lawyer Özge Naz Akkaya said, “We will make our client ready for the next hearing.”

The prosecutor requested the completion of the missing elements in the file. The court decided to issue a writ for Furkan Karabay to be brought by force to the next hearing.

The trial was adjourned until 21 February 2025.

Karabay, who appeared as a guest on Mirgün Cabas' YouTube program on 19 January, is on trial over his statements in the program.

Trial of journalist Barış Pehlivan on charges of “insult” and “defamation” adjourned

The second hearing in the trial of journalist Barış Pehlivan on charges of “defamation” and “insult” upon the complaint of Yüksel Kocaman, former Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor and member of the Supreme Court of Appeals, over his article titled “Katilleri açıklıyorum” (I announce the murderers) published in Cumhuriyet newspaper on 22 September 2023, was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 4 February 2025.

Pehlivan and his lawyer were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24.

In his defense, Pehlivan said, “I wrote everything in my column, which is the subject of the lawsuit, five years ago in my book Cendere. Why did Yüksel Kocaman, who did not raise his voice five years ago even though I wrote more, now file a lawsuit into my column in which I wrote less? In the indictment, it is written that I included the allegation that Yüksel Kocaman took bribes in my article subject to the lawsuit, but there is no allegation or statement in my article that Kocaman took bribes.”

Pehlivan's lawyer Enes Hikmet Ermaner stated that the elements of the crime charged against his client did not form.

The court decided to ask the General Secretary of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) whether any administrative investigation has been carried out on the incident and members of the judiciary in the article subject to the indictment, and if there is an administrative investigation, to request the necessary information and documents to the extent not to violate the confidentiality of the investigation. 

The trial was adjourned until 8 July.

Trial of journalist Barış Pehlivan on charge of “insulting a public official” adjourned until July

The second hearing in the trial of journalist Barış Pehlivan on the charge of “insulting a public official” upon the complaint of Boğaziçi University Rector Mehmet Naci İnci was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 4 February 2025.

Pehlivan and the lawyers of the parties were present at the hearing, which monitored by P24.

In his defense, Pehlivan said, “There are reports of the disciplinary board of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) and the allegations of Boğaziçi University academic Tuna Tuğcu, which I cited as sources in my article. I wrote my article in the light of these reports and allegations. There is no insult or slander in any way. I want academic Tuna Tuğcu to be heard as a witness.”

Pehlivan's lawyer Enes Hikmet Ermaner stated that the article in the lawsuit was written based on YÖK reports and the statements of academics and that there is nothing in the article that could constitute the crime of “insult.”

The lawyer of the plaintiff Naci İnci asked Pehlivan what is the meaning of quoting Montaigne his article. Pehlivan replied, “You asked a question worthy of the Çağlayan Courthouse. If Montaigne were alive, we would have called him as a witness.”

The court decided to issue a writ to the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) for the subpoena of the aforementioned information and documents, and to evaluate the requests for witnesses to be heard later. The trial was adjourned until 8 July.

Merdan Yanardağ acquitted of “spreading false information”

The fifth hearing in the trial of Tele 1 Editor-in-Chief Merdan Yanardağ on the charge of “spreading false information” over his social media posts was held at the İstanbul 35th Criminal Court of First Instance on 4 February 2025.

Yanardağ did not attend the hearing while his lawyer Bilgütay Hakkı Durna was present.

On 10 December, the prosecutor repeated their final opinion on the case and demanded that Yanardağ be sentenced for the impugned crime

The court acquitted Merdan Yanardağ on the grounds that there was no definite and legal evidence, free from any kind of doubt, to show that he acted with criminal intent and that it was not determined that the charged crime was committed by the defendant.

Yanardağ was on trial over his social media posts on the assassination allegations against Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu.

Ercan Aktaş’s trial adjourned until September 

The seventh hearing in the trial of journalist Ercan Aktaş on the charge of “terrorism propaganda” was held at the İstanbul 23rd High Criminal Court on 3 February 2025.

No one attended the hearing.

The court ruled to await the execution of the arrest warrant against Aktaş and adjourned the trial until 8 September 2025.

At least 32 journalists and media workers in prison

Following the release of journalist Ahmet Güneş and imprisonment of Öznur Değer as of 7 February 2025, there are at least 32 journalists and media workers in prison in Turkey, either in pre-trial detention or serving a sentence.

The full list can be accessed here.