Besime Yardım, owner of the Adana Bunu Konuşuyor news platform, filed a complaint with the Council of Judges and Prosecutors regarding the incident she had to endure

CANAN COŞKUN

Besime Yardım, who has been working as a journalist for 15 years, is the editor-in-chief of the Çukurova Metropol newspaper. She also shares local news on the Adana Bunu Konuşuyor Instagram account. The post that led to her arrest was based on a news article published on 12 May by the İhlas News Agency and Anadolu Agency. The text of the article read as follows:

“Teams from the Adana Provincial Police Department's Smuggling and Organized Crime Unit conducted technical and physical surveillance operations targeting illegal arms trafficking, resulting in simultaneous raids in 23 provinces across Turkey, with Adana as the central location. A total of 94 individuals were detained during the operation.

“During the investigations, it was determined that some of the weapons were illegally smuggled into Turkey from abroad and were being prepared for sale to organized crime groups. The operation resulted in the seizure of 1 M4 assault rifle, 7 unlicensed shotguns, 22 unlicensed handguns, and 2,217 rounds of ammunition.

“The suspects who were detained were referred to judicial authorities after their statements. At this stage, 21 people were imprisoned pending trial, 13 were released under judicial control measures, and 60 were released.

“While the security aspect of the operation was characterized by comprehensive preparation and implementation, the ratio of arrest and release decisions in the judicial process led to different assessments. The investigation into the operation, which involved individuals from different provinces, revealed how different the approaches of the security and judicial authorities were to the events.”

Journalist Yardım shared the news story published by İhlas News Agency and Anadolu Agency on 12 May, noting in the conclusion that there were differences in the approaches of the security and judicial authorities to the operation.

Besime Yardım used a photo provided by the police regarding the operation in the news article. The photo read, “73 of the 94 individuals detained for illegal arms trafficking have been released,” and asked, “Is the problem with the police or the judiciary?” This post was later deleted.

One day after sharing this post, on 13 May, Besime Yardım was called by the police and summoned to give a statement. On the morning of 14 May, she was at the security branch with her lawyer to give her statement. Yardım was charged with “spreading false information,” also known as the “disinformation law.”

Speaking to Expression Interrupted, Yardım recalled in her statement that Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya had also shared the operation on his X account and said that the news article she shared had been distributed to subscribers of the İhlas News Agency. Yardım said, “I only asked a question. As a journalist whose duty is to prioritize the public interest and hold the government accountable, I asked a question because I noticed a significant disparity in the number of people who were detained and jailed.” She continued:

“After my statement was completed, my lawyer wanted to smoke. I was told that I could go with him and that the paperwork related to my statement was still ongoing. We went out to the terrace with my lawyer to wait for the paperwork to be completed. A short time later, the police officer who had taken my statement came and we followed him into the corridor along with my lawyer. There, he relayed to me that the prosecutor had said, 'If you remove the news article, we will take no further action.' I replied that my profession was not up for negotiation and that they should do whatever was necessary. The police officer turned to me again and said, ‘I am not saying this but the prosecutor.’ I responded, ‘Then I will tell the prosecutor. Do whatever is necessary.’ Then they began the arrest procedures. I was searched, and then taken for a forensic examination.”

Yardım noted that the police officers at the place where she was taken for the forensic examination were also shocked by what had happened. She said that she was taken from the police station where she had gone in the morning to the courthouse at around 11 a.m. and kept in police custody in front of the courthouse until 3 p.m. While waiting for the prosecutor to take her statement, she was directly referred to the Criminal Court of Peace. The prosecutor initiated an investigation against Yardım on the grounds that she had not complied with his instructions and requested that the journalist be placed under judicial control.

After the interrogation at the Adana 2nd Criminal Court of Peace was completed, the judge claimed that there was concrete evidence indicating strong suspicion that Yardım had committed the crime she was accused of and decided to release her on the condition that she sign in at the police station on the 15th of every month.

Instagram blocked access to the news

Instagram blocked access to the post in question after all this had happened. The reason given was that there was a “legal request.” Journalist Yardım said, “The news item was removed, but the same news is still on all national media. It was only removed from my page because there are questions about it. This clearly shows that these actions were taken because I asked questions.”

Besime Yardım filed a complaint with the Council of Judges and Prosecutors regarding the judicial process that began with her being summoned for questioning, continued with her being detained by the police, and ultimately ended with her being placed under judicial measure. The journalist also requested that camera recordings be examined to determine whether the prosecutor had indeed requested the removal of the news story.

Disagreement between the police and the prosecutor's office

When asked about the operation, journalist Yardım first recalled Judge Gül Altınok, who was in the spotlight for a long time due to her actions at the Adana Courthouse. According to the information provided by Yardım, Altınok, who was expelled from the profession, is married to Salih Altınok, who works as the deputy governor responsible for legal affairs at the Adana Governor's Office. “This is the system we have here right now,” said Yardım, continuing:

“I suspect that there is a problem with this case and that attempts are being made to close it. There were videos released by the police. They raided the homes of 94 people and arrested them in front of their children. In other words, all public resources are being used to arrest 94 people. Then they are released from the courthouse. I asked, 'If these people are innocent, why are public resources being wasted?'

“I also had the opportunity to speak with the officers from the Seyhan District Police Department who carried out this operation. They said they had been conducting technical surveillance for three months leading up to the operation. They mentioned that the prosecutor who ordered my arrest had taken a hostile stance toward them, saying, 'Why are you bringing all these people here?'”

“Interpol is looking for them, we are not”

Journalist Yardım also mentions other incidents she has investigated and reported on. Her account highlights the importance of local journalism while also showing how easily journalists can come under the radar of criminal networks. Yardım continues:

“Three or four days ago, I also reported on Halil Falyalı. I reported on the allegations made by journalist Ayşemden Akın, which also involved former Minister Ömer Çelik, who is from Adana.

“A short time ago, the Florida prosecutor announced that a network in Florida, USA, had sold pornography of 150,000 children, and that the network's leader, who was wanted by Interpol, was in Adana. I reported on this as well. Half an hour later, the aforementioned leader called me and said, ‘I am free; no one is looking for me.' He asked me to remove the report. I called the police and provided them with the information. I told them the phone number he had called me from. The police said, 'We have these numbers. We already know where he is.' The same day, this person was detained. He was later released. Interpol is looking for him, but we are not.'

Journalist Besime Yardım believes she is being silenced and that the judiciary is being used as a tool of oppression. The legal process faced by Yardım demonstrates how local journalism is targeted when fulfilling its public duty. Asking questions becomes a subject of accusation, and journalism is attempted to be suppressed through judicial control. I conclude the article with the title suggested by ChatGPT: “Questions under judicial control in Adana, crime rings remain free.