Journalist Ali Barış Kurt jailed; Constitutional Court rules for “rights violation” in journalist Yelda Çiçek’s case; 3 journalists from BirGün newspaper briefly detained; Yapıcı, Ekmekçi and Altınay acquitted in retrial in “Gezi case”

Journalist Ali Barış Kurt, whose 2-year and 4-month prison sentence was upheld by the Court of Cassation, was detained in İstanbul on 7 February. Accused of social media posts and journalistic activities, Kurt was taken to Bostancı District Security Directorate.

On 8 February, Kurt was referred to Kartal Courthouse and then taken to Maltepe L Type Closed Prison No 1.

Constitutional Court rules for “rights violation” in journalist Yelda Çiçek’s case

The Constitutional Court has ruled for a rights violation for journalist Yelda Çiçek, who was taken into custody while covering the protests against the appointment of trustees to municipalities in Diyarbakır on 21 August 2019.

The Constitutional Court ruled that the “right to a fair trial” guaranteed under Article 36 of the Constitution was violated and sent the case to the Diyarbakır 4th Criminal Court of First Instance for retrial.

An indictment was filed against Çiçek on the charge of “violating Law No. 20911 on Meetings and Demonstrations.” Diyarbakır 4th Criminal Court of First Instance accepted the indictment and sentenced Yelda Çiçek to 1 year and 8 months in prison at the final trial held on 22 September 2021. The court decided to defer the sentence. Çiçek's lawyer appealed the verdict, but the Diyarbakır 11th High Criminal Court rejected the appeal.

Çiçek then filed an individual application to the Constitutional Court through her lawyer, stating that her right to freedom of press and expression had been violated. In the application, it was stated that Yelda Çiçek was covering the protest within the scope of her journalistic activity and that she was detained despite showing her press card to the police, which certifies that she is a journalist, and that her journalistic activity was prevented.

It was pointed out in the application that despite the defenses and documents presented by Yelda Çiçek in the detention, prosecutor's office and court that she was a journalist, this was not discussed in the reasoned decision, and that there was no information and documentation in the case file that Çiçek resisted against the police and was an activist. The application also emphasized that the disproportionate intervention violated the applicant's right to freedom of expression and press freedom.

Three journalists from BirGün newspaper briefly detained

Uğur Koç and Berkant Gültekin, editorial coordinators and Yaşar Gökdemir, managing editor of Birgün newspaper's website, detained on 9 February for reporting on Sabah newspaper's visit to İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Akın Gürlek.

The journalists were taken to the security directorate on suspicion of “marking those assigned with the fight against terrorism.” In their statements, the journalists stated that “there was no criminal element in the news article and that they did not intend to target anyone.”

The journalists were then taken to the prosecutor's office, where they were released after giving statement.

A lawsuit was filed against journalist Furkan Karabay on charges of “insulting a public official,” “marking those assigned with the fight against terrorism” and “spreading false information” over his social media post.

RTÜK warns news bulletins, claiminig "they are biased"

The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) issued a general warning to broadcasters regarding prime-time news bulletins. RTÜK President Ebubekir Şahin made a statement on his social media account on 8 February, saying that RTÜK monitoring experts found that the prime-time news bulletins included a lot of violent content and that news anchors made purposeful comments far from impartiality.

Stating that in the news bulletins, it was seen that there was an attempt to create the perception that there were no “positive incidents” in the country and to reduce citizens to pessimism and loneliness, Şahin said, “Our broadcasting organizations have editorial independence in their news content. However, this independence requires working in a way that does not harm the public interest, public peace, and the environment of trust in society.”

Şahin noted that the main news anchors' purposeful commentary and analysis of events, including their own political views, was a problem and that sanctions would be imposed at the highest limit.

Journalist Mustafa Mert Bildircin charged with “insulting religious values

A lawsuit was filed against BirGün reporter Mustafa Mert Bildircin over his news reports on the Directorate of Religious Affairs. In the petition filed on behalf of Ali Erbaş, the President of Religious Affairs, who is the plaintiff in the file, it was argued that the news item about the institution and its president “insulted religious values.”

The petition also accused Bildircin of “inciting the public to hatred and hostility” and “spreading false information.”

Bildircin gave statement at the Çankaya Police Station in Ankara, while her lawyer Ali Deniz Ceylan submitted a written defense.

Journalists Necla Demir Arvas and Velat Ekinci to stand trial for “membership in a terrorist organization”

The indictment against journalist Necla Demir Arvas, who was arrested in house raids on 17 January as part of an İstanbul-based investigation and jailed on 20 January on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” has been completed.

The 53-page indictment drafted by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office includes the historical development and organizational structure of PKK/KCK. The indictment included programs broadcast on 25 November, the Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the budget not being allocated to women; rights violations committed in 2023; a program on the massacres of women; violence against women in earthquake zones; constitutional debates; discussions on the “solution process” and the isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.

An 8-page indictment was prepared against journalist Velat Ekinci, who was arrested in the same operation. In the indictment, four pages of which are devoted to the history of the PKK/KCK, it was argued that Ekinci was an authorized officer of Medya Haber TV, even though he was an authorized officer of Güncel Prodüksiyon and there were official documents regarding this. It was argued that Ekinci was a “member of the terrorist organization” due to his claim that he was an authorized officer of Medya Haber TV and him having an MA institution card, where he had previously worked.

Both indictments were accepted by the İstanbul 23rd High Criminal Court.

Access block to X accounts of three journalists

Journalists Fehim Işık, Hayko Bağdat and Metin Cihan's X accounts were blocked from access.

The reasoned verdict of the prison sentence given to journalist Yüsra Batıhan on charges of “spreading false information” released

The reasoned verdict of the 10-month prison sentence given to journalist Yüsra Batıhan for “spreading false information” has been released. The Ankara 75th Criminal Court of First Instance, which heard the case, argued that Batıhan's post, which she made without interviewing authorized persons, could not be considered within the scope of journalistic activity.

An indictment was prepared against journalist Yüsra Batıhan for “spreading false information” after she shared on her social media account excerpts from the news reports published by Mezopotamya Agency (MA) on the earthquakes in Hatay, which was affected by the earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş on 6 February 2023, with the headlines “Cenazeler gömülüyor, devletin haberi yok” (Bodies are buried, the state does not know) and “HDP’nin depremzedeler için gönderdiği 30 konteynere el konuldu” “(30 containers sent by HDP for earthquake victims were seized.)

At the final hearing held at the Ankara 75th Criminal Court of First Instance on 21 January 2025, Batıhan was sentenced to 10 months in prison. The court had decided to defer the sentence.

The trial of journalists Mehmet Kamış and Ali Çolak adjourned until May

The 25th hearing in the trial of journalists Mehmet Kamış and Ali Çolak on charges of “attempting to overthrow the Grand National Assembly of Turkey or prevent it from performing its duties “attempting to overthrow the Government of the Republic of Turkey or prevent it from performing its duties,” “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order,” and “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the İstanbul 26th High Criminal Court on 13 February 2025.

Mehmet Kamış, Ali Çolak and their lawyers were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24.

The lawyer of the participating Grand National Assembly of Turkey stated that their complaints continue and demanded that the defendants be punished.

Mehmet Kamış's lawyer requested that the judicial control measure imposed on his client be lifted. Ali Çolak's lawyer Enes Malik Kılıç made a statement regarding the Bank Asya expert report prepared for his client: “The account under investigation is a salary account opened in 1997. When we look at the client's account movements, there are no suspicious transactions.”

The court decided to keep in place the judicial control measures and adjourned the trial until 6 May.

Delal Akyüz's house arrest lifted

The first hearing in the trial of journalist Delal Akyüz on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the İzmir 13th High Criminal Court on 12 February 2025.

Akyüz was connected to the hearing via the judicial videoconferencing system. Akyüz's lawyers Hazal Sümeli and Halil Konuk were present at the hearing.

During the hearing, the court decided to merge the case filed against Akyüz by the İzmir 20th High Criminal Court on the allegation of “aiding a terrorist organization” with the current case.

Akyüz defended himself against the charges, saying that he has been a journalist for many years and that an indictment was filed on the grounds of his professional activities. “I do not report news upon instruction,” Akyüz said, adding, ”The indictment has taken certain news I have reported and made it a subject of accusation. I am on trial for practicing journalism.”

The defense asked for the judicial control measures to be lifted. The prosecutor demanded the continuation of judicial control measures.

The court decided to lift the “house arrest” judicial control measures against Akyüz. The panel decided to keep in place the international travel ban and adjourned the trial until 12 May 2025.

Trial of journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan and Erdoğan Alayumat adjourned

The trial of journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan and Erdoğan Alayumat on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the İstanbul 25th High Criminal Court on 11 February 2025.

Erdoğan Alayumat and his lawyers were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24. Mehmet Aslan attended the hearing via the judicial videoconferencing system from Ankara Courthouse.

Mehmet Aslan, who gave an additional defense within the scope of the “terrorism propaganda” investigation against him, said, “Why is reporting on any subject deemed as propaganda? Journalistic activity cannot be considered a crime.”

Aslan's lawyer Habat Demircan stated that they submitted the expert opinion prepared by P24 to the file and said, “The expert opinion in question is an opinion regarding the scope of this file. We request that this opinion, which was prepared considering the decisions of international courts, be taken as a basis during the trial.”

Alayumat and his lawyer said that they have no statement at this stage.

The court decided to send a writ to the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to inquire about the outcome of the files of Alayumat and Aslan, against whom there is an open investigation. The trial was adjourned until 6 May.

Yapıcı, Ekmekçi and Altınay acquitted in retrial in “Gezi case”

The fifth hearing in the retrial of Mücella Yapıcı, Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi and Ali Hakan Altınay, whose 18-year prison sentences each for “aiding the attempt to overthrow the government of the Republic of Turkey” were overturned by the 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation, on charges of “opposing the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” was held at the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court on 11 February 2025.

The defense lawyers were present at the hearing in which the defendants did not attend. P24 monitored the hearing.

Presenting their final opinion on the case, the prosecutor asked for the acquittal of the defendants on the charge of “violating the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations” since no concrete and material evidence was obtained.

The court ruled for the acquittal of Yapıcı, Ekmekçi and Altınay on the charge of “attempting to overthrow the government of the Republic of Turkey” due to the lack of clear and sufficient evidence beyond any doubt.

Judicial control measures lifted for three journalists

The first hearings in the trials of Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporters Semra Turan and Tolga Güney and JinNews reporter Melike Aydın, who were indicted separately on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” over their professional activities, were held at the İzmir 13th High Criminal Court on 10 February 2025.

The court announced its verdict separately after each defense.

The court lifted the Melike Aydın and Tolga Güney's house arrest and Semra Turan's judicial control measure. The international travel ban on the journalists abroad were not lifted.

The trials were adjourned until 12 May 2025.

At least 33 journalists and media workers in prison

Following the imprisonment of journalist Ali Barış Kurt, as of 14 February 2025, there are at least 33 journalists and media workers in prison in Turkey, either in pre-trial detention or serving a sentence.

The full list can be accessed here.