The court has decided to review the case due to a change in judges and to evaluate the request to hear witnesses between hearings

ELİF AKGÜL, ISTANBUL

The fourth hearing in the trial of journalist Barış Pehlivan on charges of “publicly insulting a public official” and “defamation.”

Pehlivan's lawyer, Enes Hikmet Ermaner, was present at the hearing, which was monitored by P24. Kocaman's lawyer did not attend the hearing, citing a reason.

Pehlivan's lawyer, Ermaner, requested that Ali İhsan Akdoğan and Burhan Tezcan, mentioned in the article that is the subject of the case, be heard as witnesses.

Due to a change in judges, the court decided to review the case file and evaluate the request to hear witnesses between hearings. The trial was postponed until 17 September 2026.

Background of the case

Journalist Barış Pehlivan is on trial for his article titled "Katilleri açıklıyorum" (I reveal the killers), published in Cumhuriyet newspaper on 22 September 2023. In the article in question, Pehlivan addressed Court of Cassation member Yüksel Kocaman's response to journalist Seyhan Avşar regarding allegations that Ayhan Bora Kaplan had purchased a villa and a car for him. Pehlivan also wrote about allegations of interference in the murder trial of Kalegaz Board Chairman Ömer Faruk Ilıcan, which was heard during Kocaman's tenure as Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor.

In the indictment dated 4 January 2024, filed upon Kocaman's complaint, it was stated that Pehlivan "made abstract allegations, did not provide any concrete information or documentation regarding the accuracy of these allegations, and that the complainant denied all of these allegations.” The indictment requested punishment under Article 125/3a and 125/4 of the Turkish Criminal Code (publicly insulting a public official) and Article 125/1-2 of the Turkish Criminal Code (defamation).