Expression Interrupted

Journalists and academics bear the brunt of the massive crackdown on freedom of expression in Turkey. Scores of them are currently subject to criminal investigations or behind bars. This website is dedicated to tracking the legal process against them.

Six journalists given jail term in "FETÖ media case" retrial

Six journalists given jail term in

Six journalists have been sentenced to imprisonment in the retrial after the Court of Cassation's reversal, one other has been acquitted

CANSU PİŞKİN, ISTANBUL

The 14th hearing in the retrial of journalists Ahmet Memiş, Ali Akkuş, Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Ünal Tanık, Yakup Çetin and Yetkin Yıldız was held at the İstanbul 25th High Criminal Court on 23 January 2025.

Ahmet Memiş, Ali Akkuş, Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Ünal Tanık, Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Yakup Çetin and Yetkin Yıldız and their lawyers were present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24.

On 20 April 2024, the prosecutor reiterated their final opinion on the case and requested sentencing for Yakup Çetin, Yetkin Yıldız and Ünal Tanık on charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” on the grounds that their actions “show continuity, diversity and intensity;” and for Ahmet Memiş, Ali Akkuş, Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu and Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu on the charge of “knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization” rather than “membership in a terrorist organization,” as it is understood that “there is no definite and concrete evidence beyond any doubt that they are ‘members of a terrorist organization’ and that they are part of the organization's hierarchy.”

“No concrete evidence”Presenting his defense against the final opinion, Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu presented to the court the articles in the Türk Solu (Turkish Left) magazine in which he criticized the Fethullah Gülen Brotherhood. In his defense, Çulhaoğlu said, “I was thrown into this bag to discredit me because of my dissident personality, in order to ‘put a black stain on me.’ I met 25 people I am on trial with in the case here. I have no ties to them. Law looks for evidence. But there is not a single piece of evidence against me in this file. It has been eight years and I am the only person in this case who has not applied to the European Court of Human Rights. I am an anti-imperialist, I am not going to beg for law from the West.”

Following Çulhaoğlu, Ali Akkuş's defense began. Akkuş said, “I worked at Zaman newspaper to make a living within the framework of employee-employer framework. I did not study at the organization's schools, I did not go to its classrooms. I did not use ByLock. The newspaper I worked for had a salary account at Bank Asya. I have not deposited even 1 [Turkish] lira into this account. I have no remote connection with the organization. The only association I am a member of is the Journalists’ Association of Turkey. In this case, not only me but my whole family was investigated. There is no one in my family on trial for FETÖ (Fethullahist Terrorist Organization). I did not go through the training of this organization. I did not help this despicable organization. I ask for my acquittal to get rid of this dirt.”

Ünal Tanık, who made his defense against the prosecutor’s opinion, said, “In my 35 years of professional life, I have worked in many different media outlets, but I have never once crossed paths with the media outlets of this organization. I had no connection not only with media organizations but also with their schools. I never had an account at Bank Asya.” Tanık demanded his acquittal.

Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, in his defense against the prosecutor’s final opinion, said, “I never intended to help a terrorist organization. For this reason, I do not accept the accusations of the prosecution. As a journalist, I shared the tweets that are cited as evidence in the indictment. All the tweets are news content. There is no criminal element. If there is no criminal element, a journalist can share anything they deem newsworthy. All my posts are within the scope of freedom of expression. I did not provide financial support to FETÖ, nor do I have a Bank Asya account. I have only practiced professional journalism. I have not participated in any crime.”

After Kalyoncu, Ahmet Memiş took the stand. Memiş said, “I have been a journalist for 30 years. The only place I have not worked in 30 years is the brotherhood’s newspapers. I have been on trial for eight years and for eight years I still do not know what I am being tried for. Although the witnesses made statements in my favor, the prosecutor wrote the final opinion as if they had made statements against me. Last month, the ECtHR found a rights violation in my case. I do not accept any of the charges. I demand my acquittal in line with the ECtHR ruling.”

In his defense, Yakup Çetin rejected the charges against him and demanded his acquittal.

In his defense, Yetkin Yıldız said, “The 16th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation has already overturned the verdict against me based on the current allegations” and demanded his acquittal.

The lawyers of the journalists stated that there is no concrete evidence for the accusations against their clients and demanded their acquittal.

After a short recess, the court sentenced Yakup Çetin to 6 years and 3 months in prison for “membership in a terrorist organization,” and Ahmet Memiş, Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Ünal Tanık and Yetkin Yıldız to 1 year and 13 months in prison for “knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization.” The court acquitted Ali Akkuş on the grounds of lack of criminal intent.

The 16th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation, which completed the appellate review of the case in March 2020, had reversed the verdict, stating that Memiş, Kalyoncu, Çulhaoğlu, Tanık, Çetin and Yıldız, who were sentenced to prison for “membership in a terrorist organization,” should be tried on charges of “aiding a terrorist organization” and sent the case to the court of first instance for retrial.

Top