The court has decided to release Özgür Gelecek reporter Perihan Erkılınç, who had been detained since 2 May, under an international travel ban and obligation of weekly reporting to the authorities

The first hearing in the trial of Özgür Gelecek newspaper reporter Perihan Erkılınç on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the İstanbul 23rd High Criminal Court on 12 November 2025.

Erkılınç, who was brought from Bakırköy Women's Closed Prison where she is being held, accompanied by gendarmerie, and her lawyer Kemal Toraman were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24.

After her identity was verified, Erkılınç began her defense and denied the charges against her: "I am a journalist, I have been living at the same address for a long time. I do not think there is anything that warrants my arrest. The documents in the file are photos of 1 May and women's protests. I am a journalist with socialist leanings. I do not think it is right that the addresses of detained journalists are accepted as evidence of a crime. I have followed all of the HDK's statements and do not think this constitutes a crime either. The investigations mentioned in the indictment do not belong to me. The issue is that it says I was arrested in Tunceli. I was not arrested in Tunceli. I was arrested for the first time within the scope of this case.“

Erkılınç concluded her defense by saying, ”I have celiac disease and asthma. I request my release."

Two witnesses and one confessor were heard 

Witness Ahmet Elma, who participated in the hearing via the judicial videoconferencing system, was asked about the statements of other witnesses. Elma said, "I do not know Rüzgâr Kırtan. Zeki Varol and I stayed in the same cell for a short time. I was a shopkeeper in Dersim; it could not be more natural for our paths to cross with Perihan, we are family friends. She came to see me in prison. This is our legal right; I do not think it is a crime. I have been in prison for 10 years; I do not remember the visit dates. She did not come very often anyway." 

Another witness, Zeki Varol, also said he did not know Perihan Erkılınç: “I shared a cell with Rüzgâr Kırtan in 2022. I also shared a cell with Ahmet Elma for a while. Rüzgâr Kırtan has become a confessor and is making false statements to get a reduced sentence. She is slandering me and doing so by using me.” 

The confessor Rüzgâr Kırtan said, “Zeki Varol said that Perihan Erkılınç was a member of the organization. I also gave a statement to that effect. I accept and repeat my statements in the investigation.” 

After the witness statements, the prosecutor requested that Erkılınç's detention be continued. After the prosecutor's opinion, Erkılınç spoke again, saying, “I do not accept the charges; I was doing my job. I request my release.” 

Erkılınç's lawyer, Kemal Toraman, pointed out that the investigation was incomplete. Toraman said, "My client had stated whether the name Sevda was a code name. My client sometimes uses the name Sevda and sometimes Perihan. It is quite clear that my client's use of these names cannot be linked to secrecy. I did not think that this would be cited as a reason for arrest and that it would be included in the indictment. My client is not under investigation by the Hozat Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, but she is included in the indictment. This is clearly a case of negligence." 

Toraman stated that the investigation began after the Özgür Gelecek newspaper's website was reported, adding, "There is no connection between the website and the client. This is actually a repeated investigation. An investigation was also opened against the client in Kastamonu, and a decision of non-prosecution was issued. There is no call for violence on the banners and partizan flags found during the search of the client's home. What Rüzgâr Kırtan said is not consistent. My client was arrested for the first time, but this is not her first trial. It is not right to talk about suspicion of escape without any concrete facts." Toraman requested his client’s release. 

The court decided to release Erkılınç with judicial control measures, including a ban on leaving the country and signing in once a week. The trial was adjourned until 2 February 2026. 

Background of the case  

Perihan Erkılınç, a reporter for the Özgür Gelecek newspaper, was detained during a raid on her home on 29 April and imprisoned pending trial on 2 May by the İstanbul 7th Criminal Court of Peace on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization.” 

An indictment was issued on 1 August against Erkılınç while she was being held at the Bakırköy Women's Closed Prison. The indictment, which included the statements of two witnesses and one confessor, stated that a partizan-signed poster and banners related to 1 May found in Erkılınç's home, as well as a DİSK Basın-İşagenda, were seized for examination. The indictment stated that the notes in the agenda contained information about the location and time of the trial of Nimet Tanrıkulu, one of the founders of the Human Rights Association, and commented on the notes related to 1 May, stating, “It is assessed that this may be related to the planning of an attack against police teams on 1 May, Labor and Solidarity Day, which will be held this year.” 

In the indictment, the Özgür Gelecek newspaper was described as “the publication organ of the TKP/ML terrorist organization,” and it was alleged that its website was used by Erkılınç. 

The indictment also included posts made on Partizan's Twitter account regarding Erkılınç's imprisonment: “It was understood that he represented the TKP/ML terrorist organization's open structures, Partizan and Özgür Gelecek, in the HDK (People's Democratic Congress) structure, which is the political arm of the PKK/KCK Terrorist Organization, and that she used the code name ‘Sevda’ for these activities.”