Reporter Hazal Ocak and editors Serkan Ozan, Olcay Büyüktaş Akça and Ozan Yurtoğlu are charged with “insult” and “libel” over two reports published in January 2021

CANSU PİŞKİN, ISTANBUL

The second hearing of a trial in which former Cumhuriyet reporter Hazal Ocak and the newspaper’s former editors Serkan Ozan, Olcay Büyüktaş Akça and Ozan Yurtoğlu are charged with “insult” (TCK 125) and “libel” (TCK 267) was held at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 8 February 2022.

The charges stem from two reports published in January 2021. Penned by Ocak, the reports were about public tenders won by a businessman who was allegedly a classmate of President Erdoğan’s son, Bilal Erdoğan. The case was launched upon a complaint by Bilal Erdoğan, who claims he is not acquainted with the businessman.

P24 was in the courthouse to monitor the hearing. Ocak, Ozan and the journalists’ lawyers were in attendance. Citing Covid-19 measures, the court did not allow spectators in the courtroom.

According to minutes of the hearing, the prosecutor presented their final opinion, demanding that all four journalists be sentenced as charged. The prosecutor claimed that Ocak’s reports “were not based on concrete facts” and that the word “friend” in the reports offended the complainant.

Ozan and Ocak told the court they did not agree with the final opinion. Ozan added that he could not understand which expressions in the news stories were deemed as “insults.”

Ozan and Ocak’s lawyer Damla Çaltepe requested a continuance to submit their defense statement in writing. Granting the defendants time for their final statements, the court adjourned the case until 7 June 2022.