Five journalists acquitted in four cases; indictment filed against Ercüment Akdeniz and Yıldız Tar on suspicion of "membership in a terrorist organization; all defendants acquitted in “Boğaziçi exhibition trial"

Indictment filed against Ercüment Akdeniz and Yıldız Tar on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization”

In the indictment prepared by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, four people, including journalists Ercüment Akdeniz and Yıldız Tar, were charged with “membership in a terrorist organization.” In addition to statements and meeting notes related to the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK), interviews and news-related conversations conducted as part of journalistic activities were also cited as evidence in the indictment.

Ercüment Akdeniz and Yıldız Tar, who were detained and jailed in February 2025, are alleged to have participated in various meetings organized by the HDK in 2023, where they used expressions “parallel to the PKK/KCK line.” The indictment claims that the HDK is “the urban structure of the PKK” and that all activities related to the HDK are considered “terror activities.”

The indictment alleges that Tar, during his time as a journalist, served as the editor-in-chief of Etkin Haber Ajansı (ETHA) and that his telephone conversations with reporters, his practice of informing the editor during news coverage, and his field reports were considered grounds for prosecution.

Ercüment Akdeniz, a member of the Labor Party and a journalist, said in his statement that he attended HDK congresses and panels solely as a journalist and that monitoring these organizations as a writer working on refugee and worker rights was part of his profession. Akdeniz said that he was not a member of HDK and did not hold any managerial position.

The indictment presented Akdeniz's speech at an HDK meeting in 2013, his views on youth policies, and his telephone conversations with some reporters as evidence. The prosecution considered all the HDK's work emphasizing women, youth, and local democracy as a “militarization process.”

Pro-government Yeni Şafak newspaper targets journalist Ayşemden Akın

Aydın Ünal, a writer for the pro-government newspaper Yeni Şafak, targeted Ayşemden Akın, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Bugün Kıbrıs, in an article titled “Halil Falyalı Yaşıyor” (Halil Falyalı is Alive).

Claiming that Akın was being used by FETÖ, Ünal said, “The source is the murder of Cemil Önal in the Netherlands. This could be an assassination by FETÖ supporters to make the allegations heard. Ayşemden Akın will face difficult days in court due to unfounded allegations.”

Journalist Akın had published a series of articles which contained allegations of illegal betting and money laundering.

Journalist and presenter Seda Akgül: “I was fired from Star TV on Erdoğan's orders”

Journalist and presenter Seda Akgül claimed in a statement on her YouTube channel that she was dismissed from Star TV in 2014 on the orders of then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Akgül said that Ferit Şahenk, the owner of the Doğuş Group, informed her of the situation, saying, “We are with them until 2027, please do not refuse our request.”

Akgül said, “I was fired from Star Haber and Irfan Kanal D morning show. Fatih Portakal was not fired because Fox was powerful. I accepted Kısmetse Olur because I had a lot of debt.”

All defendants acquitted in “Boğaziçi exhibition trial”

The 14th hearing in the trial of seven students charged with “inciting the public to hatred and hostility” over an image displayed at an exhibition held as part of protests against Melih Bulu, the rector appointed to Boğaziçi University by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, was held at the İstanbul 21st Criminal Court of First Instance on 9 May 2025.

The defendants did not attend the hearing, but their lawyers were present. P24 monitored the hearing.

The prosecutor repeated their final opinion on the case they had presented at the hearing on 27 September 2024.

In the opinion, although the defendants were charged with “inciting the public to hatred and hostility,” the prosecutor stated that the defendants' actions constituted “publicly insulting religious values embraced by a segment of the public,” and requested that the seven students be punished for this charge.

The lawyer for defendant Selahattin Uğuzeş said, “The only thing that insults the values of the people in this case is the news report published in the Yeni Şafak newspaper. It incited the people to hatred and hostility against the LGBTI community. I request that your court file a criminal complaint regarding the news report in the Yeni Şafak newspaper.”

The lawyers for defendants Sena Nur Baş, Rumeysa Özüyağlı, and Eda Kalafat also requested their acquittal, arguing that the elements of the alleged crime did not form.

The court acquitted all defendants.

Court keeps in place international travel ban on İsminaz Temel and Havva Cuştan

The 30th hearing in the trial of 23 people, including ETHA editor İsminaz Temel and its former reporter Havva Cuştan, on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “terrorism propaganda,” was held at the İstanbul 27th High Criminal Court on 9 May 2025.

The defendants did not attend the hearing, but their lawyers were present. P24 monitored the hearing.

The defendants' lawyers requested that the international travel ban on their clients be lifted and that the investigation be expanded.

The court decided to keep in place the travel ban and accepted the lawyers' requests to hear witnesses. The court decided to write to the relevant law enforcement authorities to inquire whether there were any video recordings related to the date of the crime and to request the minutes of demonstrations and commemorations held on the dates of the incident from the İstanbul Anti-Terrorism Branch.

The court granted the defense lawyers time to present their defenses against the prosecutor’s opinion and adjourned the trial until 22 October 2025.

Trial of Furkan Karabay adjourned until November

The first hearing in the trial of journalist Furkan Karabay, who is charged with “insult” and “defamation” over a social media post upon a complaint filed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s son Bilal Erdoğan, was held at the İstanbul 47th Criminal Court of First Instance on 8 May 2025.

Karabay's lawyer, Özge Naz Akkaya, and Bilal Erdoğan's lawyer, Rüveyda İslam, were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24. Karabay did not attend the hearing.

Erdoğan's lawyer, İslam, stated that the complaints were ongoing and demanded that Karabay be punished.

Karabay's lawyer Akkaya said that Karabay had been acquitted in a case filed at the İstanbul 5th Criminal Court of First Instance, which was related to the current case, and requested his acquittal.

The court decided to await the finalization of the acquittal decision issued in the case filed against Karabay at the İstanbul 5th Criminal Court of First Instance regarding the shared post in question.

The trial was adjourned until 13 November 2025.

Trial of Ahmet Güneş adjourned until September

The first hearing in the case against journalist Ahmet Güneş, who was charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” for his journalistic activities, was held at the İstanbul 25th High Criminal Court on 8 May 2025.

Ahmet Güneş and his lawyer Meltem Özel were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24.

Ahmet Güneş, who presented his defense, denied the charges against him. Güneş said, “I work for the Yeni Yaşam newspaper. I do not host a program on Medya Haber TV. My articles are published in many media outlets. My aim is to work as a journalist.”

Güneş's lawyer, Meltem Özel, said, "My client made a two-month program. This was packaged and sold. It was not a program made for Medya Haber TV. When you look at the content of these programs, there are no elements of a crime; they were programs about current issues and human rights. The comments do not contain any propaganda for any terror organization. There is no crime of organization membership, let alone organization propaganda," she said, requesting acquittal.

The court decided to write to the police to determine whether there was a person who made a statement about Güneş and adjourned the trial until 11 September 2025.

Trial of Barış Terkoğlu and 1 other defendant adjourned until November

The fifth hearing in the trial of journalist Barış Terkoğlu, who was charged with “insulting a public official” along with former İYİ Party Deputy Chairman Ahmet Zeki Üçok over his articles published in the Cumhuriyetnewspaper in April 2023, was held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 8 May 2025.

Ahmet Zeki Üçok and his lawyers were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24. Terkoğlu did not attend the hearing.

The prosecutor reiterated their final opinion on the case they had presented at the hearing on 22 February 2024, and requested that Terkoğlu and Üçok be punished for the impugned crime.

Üçok stated, “We did not intend to insult anyone. We merely relayed the petition submitted by Prosecutor Gökalp Kökçü to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK). Therefore, the petition submitted by Kökçü to the HSK must be included in the case file.”

Üçok and Terkoğlu's lawyers requested that the deficiencies in the case file be addressed.

The court ruled that a letter be sent to the HSK requesting information and documents related to ongoing or concluded administrative investigations concerning the judicial official identified as the news source in the indictment, provided that such information does not violate the confidentiality of the investigation.

The trial was adjourned until 6 November 2025.

Zeynep Kuray acquitted of “terrorism propaganda”

The third hearing in the trial of journalist Zeynep Kuray, who was charged with “terrorism propaganda” over social media posts she shared between 2014 and 2023, was held at the İstanbul 26th High Criminal Court on 8 May 2025.

Kuray's lawyer, Batıkan Erkoç, was present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24. Kuray did not attend the hearing.

The prosecutor, who repeated their final opinion on the case during the recess, argued that the posts in question “legitimize, praise, or encourage the use of force, violence, or threats by the PKK/KCK” and requested that Kuray be punished for the crime of “terrorism propaganda.”

Kuray's lawyer, Batıkan Erkoç, stated that his client was following the news and requested more time. The court rejected the request.

In his statement against the prosecutor’s opinion, Erkoç said that the posts in question did not call for violence and therefore the elements of the alleged crime did not form. Erkoç requested his client's acquittal.

The court acquitted Kuray, ruling that the act in question was not defined as a crime in the law.

Barış Pehlivan and Ozan Alper Yurtoğlu acquitted

The 12th hearing in the trial of Cumhuriyet newspaper writer Barış Pehlivan and former Editor-in-Chief Ozan Alper Yurtoğlu, who are charged with “insulting the president” and “insulting a public official” were held at the İstanbul 15th Criminal Court of First Instance on 8 May 2025.

Pehlivan and Yurtoğlu's lawyer was present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24.

The prosecutor reiterated their final opinion on the case, requesting that the defendants be sentenced for the impugned crimes.

The lawyer for then Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, who was present at the hearing, stated, “The defendants' actions cannot be considered within the scope of press freedom. Barış Pehlivan has systematically written articles that constitute an attack on my client's personal rights. We request that they be punished in accordance with the prosecutor’s opinion.”

The lawyer for Yurtoğlu and Pehlivan, Enes Hikmet Ermaner, noted that the case was filed after the four-month period stipulated in the Press Law and requested that the case be dismissed. Ermaner said, "Following the amendments made to the Press Law in 2022, the editor-in-chief is not legally responsible in cases where the author of the work is known. Accordingly, Ozan Alper Yurtoğlu has no legal liability. As for Pehlivan, we do not accept his punishment due to the journalistic act protected by the Constitution." He requested acquittal for both of his clients.

The court acquitted Yurtoğlu and Pehlivan separately on both charges.

Barış Pehlivan given prison term

Journalist Barış Pehlivan announced on his X account on 7 May that he had been sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison on the charge of “violating the confidentiality of communications” over a news report he had published.

Pehlivan stated that he had interviewed a prosecutor who had served as the district chairman of the AKP in Şehitkamil, regarding allegations that he had injured a person with a firearm during a traffic dispute while serving as district chairman, and that he was being tried for this news report.

Pehlivan criticized the fact that the case was being heard in Kilis despite the news being published in Cumhuriyetnewspaper, which is based in İstanbul as well as his residence, noting that their objection to this had also been rejected.

Diren Yurtsever acquitted at first hearing

The first hearing in the trial of journalist Diren Yurtsever, who was charged with “revealing or publishing the identities of informants” over news reports she wrote while working as the editor-in-chief of the Mezopotamya Agency, was held at the İstanbul 23rd High Criminal Court on 7 May 2025.

Yurtsever, who was present at the hearing with her lawyers, stated, “The Kobane Trial was a case followed by many journalists and international delegations in Turkey. The individual in question was not a confidential witness; he was a suspect who later testified as a witness with his identity disclosed. We did not disclose any confidential information. I believe that no criminal offense was committed in this case. I do not accept the charges; what we did was journalism.”

The prosecutor presented their final opinion on the case and requested that Yurtsever be punished for the impugned crime.

The court acquitted Yurtsever on the grounds that the legal elements of the alleged crime did not form.

Prosecutor demands punishment for JinNews reporter Derya Ren

The first hearing in the trial of JinNews reporter Derya Ren, who went to the Nizip district of Gaziantep on 7 January 2025, to follow up on a news story and was then detained by police on the grounds of “reasonable suspicion,” on the charge of “insulting a public official” was held at the Nizip 5th Criminal Court of First Instance on 6 May 2025.

In addition to Ren and her lawyers, journalists from the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and the Mezopotamya Women Journalists Association (MKG) were present in the court room.

Following the identification process, Derya Ren stated, “I came here regarding a woman's murder. They kept me waiting for hours under the pretext of a criminal record check (GBT). They started asking questions about my family. I told them these questions could be asked by also the prosecutor's office. Unspeakable insults were hurled at me. I said that I did not accept these insults. I did not sign the police statement because the first police report contained words that I did not say.”

Then, F.A., one of the police officers who filed the complaint, claimed that a GBT check had been carried out, contrary to the police statement.

In their final opinion on the case, the prosecutor requested that Ren be punished for the impugned crime.

Defense lawyer Ahmet Taş, responding to the opinion, stated that the prosecutor's office was seeking punishment without presenting concrete evidence.

Ren's other lawyer, Dicle Aksu, said, “We do not agree with the opinion. Even though there were no grounds for prosecution in the previous investigation, such an opinion has been given. Our client has told us that she was subjected to unspeakable profanity.”

The court adjourned the case until 24 June 22025 to examine the file.

Hakkı Boltan's trial adjourned until November

The seventh hearing in the trial of Hakkı Boltan, DİSK Press-Work Diyarbakır Regional Representative and reporter for the newspaper Yeni Yaşam, on charges of “insulting the president” and “insulting a public official.” was held at the Diyarbakır 12th Criminal Court of First Instance on 6 May 2025.

Judge presiding over the case was on leave, so another judge temporarily took his place. For this reason, Boltan and his lawyer did not attend the hearing.

The court decided to send the case file to the prosecutor's office once again for the preparation of the final opinion on the case.

The next hearing will be held on 6 November 2025.

Nurcan Yalçın's one of judicial control measures lifted

The third hearing in the trial of journalist Nurcan Yalçın, who is accused of “aiding a terrorist organization” and “violating the law on the prevention of organization financing,” was held at the Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court on 6 May 2025.

Yalçın did not attend the hearing, but her lawyer, Resul Temur, was present.

Speaking at the hearing, lawyer Temur noted that journalist Kibriye Evren, who had been summoned as a witness at the previous hearing, was unable to attend due to health problems.

Temur requested that the judicial control measure against Nurcan Yalçın be lifted.

The court then announced its decision, lifting the judicial control measure requiring Yalçın to check in police station on regular basis, but keeping in place the judicial control measure prohibiting her from leaving the country.

The court decided to hear journalist Kibriye Evren and adjourned the trial until 7 October 2025.

Trial of Sadık Topaloğlu adjourned until July

The second hearing in the trial of journalist Sadık Topaloğlu, who is charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court on 6 May 2025.

P24 monitored the hearing, where Topaloğlu and other defendant Mehmet Savaş were represented by their lawyers.

The presiding judge noted that Topaloğlu had previously been tried for “membership in a terrorist organization” and sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in October 2022, but that the case had not yet been finalized by the Court of Cassation, and asked the lawyers if they had any requests at this stage.

Serhat Çakmak, the lawyer for defendant Mehmet Savaş, requested the lifting of his client's international travel ban.

The court, which lifted Savaş's travel ban, adjourned the trial until 8 July 2025.

Ayşenur Arslan acquitted

The second hearing in the trial of journalist Ayşenur Arslan, who was charged with “terrorism propaganda” over statements she made on the program “Medya Mahallesi” (Media Neighborhood) regarding the bomb attack carried out in front of the Ministry of Interior on 1 October 2023, was held at the İstanbul 14th High Criminal Court on 6 May 2025.

Ayşenur Arslan and her lawyers were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24.

The prosecutor, who repeated their final opinion they had presented at the previous hearing, described Arslan's words as “statements inciting violence and provoking a climate of violence” and demanded that the journalist be punished for the impugned crime.

Arslan's lawyer, Uğur Poyraz, stated in his defense, “It is very unfortunate to make such an accusation against Arslan. There is no concrete action that the news report led to an environment of violence. I demand that my client be acquitted immediately.”

Lawyer Ziya İlker Göktaş also stated that there was no concrete evidence supporting the charges in either the indictment or the opinion and requested Arslan's acquittal. Lawyer Sevda Öztürk Başarır also said that the material and moral elements of the crime had not been established and requested acquittal.

When asked for her final statement, Arslan said, “It is unbelievable that I am being accused of such a thing at the end of my 50-year career as a journalist. I believe I made comments in accordance with the normal course of life. As my final statement, I am not asking for acquittal, but for justice.”

The court, announcing its decision, acquitted Ayşenur Arslan on the grounds that the act in question was not defined as a crime in the law.

Court sends case file to prosecutor’s office for final opinion to be filed in trial of Mehmet Kamış and Ali Çolak

The 26th hearing in the trial of journalists Mehmet Kamış and Ali Çolak on charges of “attempting to overthrow or prevent the Turkish Grand National Assembly from performing its duties,” “attempting to overthrow or prevent the Government of the Republic of Turkey from performing its duties,” “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order” and “membership in a terrorist organization” were held at the İstanbul 26th High Criminal Court on 6 May 2025.

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

The lawyers for Kamış and Çolak requested that the judicial control measure requiring their clients to sign in every two weeks be lifted.

The court decided to convert the judicial control measures for Kamış and Çolak to a monthly signature requirement. The court referred the case to the prosecutor’s office to prepare their final opinion on the case and adjourned the trial until 23 September 2025.

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

The third hearing in the trial of journalists Esra Solin Dal, Mehmet Aslan, and Erdoğan Alayumat, who are charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the İstanbul 25th High Criminal Court on 6 May 2025.

The hearing, monitored by P24, was attended by the lawyers of Esra Solin Dal and Erdoğan Alayumat. Mehmet Aslan joined the hearing via the judicial videoconferencing system from the Ankara Courthouse.

The presiding judge reminded the lawyers that the investigation into the charge of “terrorism propaganda” against Alayumat and Aslan had not yet been concluded and asked if they had any statements to make. The lawyers stated that they had no statements to make at this stage.

The court adjourned the trial until 11 September 2025.

Taraf case adjourned until December

The sixth hearing in the retrial of former executives of the closed Taraf newspaper Ahmet Altan, Yasemin Çongar, Yıldıray Oğur, and reporter Mehmet Baransu on charges of “using documents related to state security for purposes other than their intended purpose, obtaining them by fraud” and “disclosing and obtaining documents related to state security that should remain confidential” was held at the Anadolu 2nd Criminal Court of Firs Instance on 5 May 2025.

Çongar, Oğur, and the defendants' lawyers were present at the hearing.

In her defense, Çongar stated, “This case should have been dismissed from the very first day. Regarding the merged files, I am not familiar with the other files of defendant Mehmet Baransu, and a decision to merge the cases was made based on crimes and files I am unaware of. I am not a part of those cases. I have also prepared my defense in writing. I started working as a journalist at the age of 19, and I have been tried for my work and acquitted in all cases. I defended the articles and news reports I wrote under the freedom of expression.”

Oğur said in his defense, “At that time, I was the editor-in-chief of the newspaper. We are being tried on the grounds that we destroyed the Egemen Operation Plan, which we had never heard of or seen, but this is an accusation. No one saw these documents except me, and the news reports are out there.”

Baransu's lawyer said, “The relationship between a journalist and their news source is like the relationship between my client and me. This question was also asked to my client by the people who are listed as plaintiffs in the combined case file, and my client did not explain this situation at that time either. My client wrote an article out of anger over the false accusations made against him and revealed three separate news sources. Under normal circumstances, this would have caused a stir, but nothing happened. This situation also revealed that the news source itself was not important.”

The trial was adjourned until 8 December 2025.

At least 31 journalists and media workers in prison

According to the latest information obtained by Expression Interrupted, following the imprisonment of Özgür Gelecek reporter Perihan Erkılınç, as of 9 May 2025, there are at least 31 journalists and media workers in pre-trial detention or imprisonment in Turkey.

The full list can be accessed here.