Demir was sued over his news item published in Gazete Pencere

CANSU PİŞKİN, İSTANBUL

The second hearing in the action for non-pecuniary damages against journalist Hayri Demir and Gazete Pencere filed by Maltepe University Rector Prof. Dr. Edibe Sözen was held at the İstanbul 8th Civil Court of First Instance on 9 May 2024. The action was filed over the news item titled “AKP’nin ‘propaganda grubunun yöneticisi rektör çıktı,” (“AKP ‘propaganda group’ administrator turns out to be rector”),which appeared in Gazete Pencere on 2 April 2023.

Observers and the press were not admitted to the hearing, in which lawyers for the parties were present.

Maltepe University Rector Prof. Dr. Edibe Sözen’s lawyer said, “In the news item subject to the action, it was falsely claimed that my client acted as the administrator for propaganda for a political party. The claim was not proven in the news item. My client has suffered non-pecuniary harm due to the news item” and requested the case to be accepted.

Defendant Gazete Pencere’s lawyer Melike Türkay said, “The news item subject to the action is about a WhatsApp group in which the Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) election flyers and posters were shared during the run up to the elections. Gazete Pencere was not the first to state the connection between the plaintiff and this political party. The news item is in keeping with the apparent truth, was written within the bounds of freedom of expression and the retraction text is still accessible” and requested the dismissal of the action.

Defendant Hayri Demir’s lawyer Muhammed Ünsal also stated that the news item had been prepared within the bounds of the freedom of the expression and said, “This action being accepted would render my client incapable of practicing his profession. We request the dismissal of the action.”

The court ruled to dismiss the action.