In the case of journalist Ercüment Akdeniz, a decision was issued to forcibly bring in a witness who died in 2017

CANSU PİŞKİN, İSTANBUL

The first hearing in the trial of imprisoned journalist Ercüment Akdeniz on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the İstanbul 26th High Criminal Court on 31 July 2025.

Akdeniz and his lawyers were present in the courtroom. P24 monitored the hearing.

After his identity was confirmed, Ercüment Akdeniz presented his defense, saying, "I started working as a journalist in 2010. I was the news coordinator for Hayat TV and the news director for Evrensel newspaper. I am still working for İlke TV. I have published five books on migration. I left EMEP in 2023.

“I am not a member of any political party or organization. I have been detained for 163 days. The indictment filed against me is filled with unjust, false, and fabricated allegations. My constitutional rights are being criminalized. Journalists speak the truth; there is no question regarding the allegations against me that I cannot answer.”

Following Akdeniz's defense, two witnesses were heard. Both witnesses stated that they did not remember the statements they had given to the police 14 years ago and therefore did not accept them. One of the witnesses was present at the court in Doğubayazıt but could not be connected via the judicial videoconferencing system. The other witness could not be heard because he had passed away in 2017.

Akdeniz's lawyer, Umut Akdeniz, said, “There is no answer in the file as to what his client is suspected of or why he was investigated. As a result, there is no concrete evidence in the file,” and requested his client's release and acquittal.

Reminding that there is no final court ruling that the HDK is an “armed organization,” lawyer Özgür Urfa said, “The HDK is continuing its activities. It has buildings in the heart of İstanbul, in Beyoğlu. No armed organization hangs up a sign and carries out activities.”

Another lawyer for Akdeniz, Özcan Karakoç, said, “Before charging someone with a crime, you must be certain that the organization to which the defendant is alleged to belong is indeed an illegal organization. There is no decision that the HDK is a ‘terrorist organization.’ It continues to operate legally. There is no evidence to justify the continuation of the defendant's detention. We request his release and acquittal.”

The prosecutor requested that the witnesses absent be heard at the next hearing and that Akdeniz's detention be continued.

The court decided to continue Akdeniz's detention. The trial was adjourned until 23 October 2025.

Background of the case

As part of an İstanbul-based operation targeting the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), 50 people, including journalist Ercüment Akdeniz, were detained on 18 February 2025, during police raids on their homes. The prosecution claimed that Akdeniz and the other detainees were “active in the HDK organization in İstanbul.”

Describing the HDK as a “front organization with a legal appearance,” the prosecution claimed that the organization was an alternative parliament to the Turkish Grand National Assembly.

Akdeniz and the other 49 individuals held at the İstanbul Security Directorate were restricted from meeting with their lawyers for 24 hours, and a gag order was imposed on the case file.

Akdeniz and the other 49 individuals were transferred to the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan on 21 February after a four-day detention period. Thirty individuals, including Akdeniz, were sent to pre-trial detention.