The lawsuit filed against 10 people, nine of whom are journalists, following a complaint filed by President Erdoğan’s former lawyer, Mustafa Doğan İnal, has been postponed until April 2026

ELİF AKGÜL, ISTANBUL

The 12th hearing in the trial in which journalists Barış Terkoğlu, Barış Pehlivan, Can Bursalı, Nevzat Çiçek, Doğan Akın, Gökmen Karadağ, Ayşenur Arslan, Fatih Portakal, and Can Özçelik are charged with “insult” and “defamation” following a complaint filed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s former lawyer, Mustafa Doğan İnal, was held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on 20 November 2025.

At the hearing, which was monitored by P24, the defendants’ lawyers, Mehmet Ruşen Gültekin (representing Terkoğlu, Pehlivan, and Karadağ), Abdullah Karademir (representing Portakal), Bülent Uğurses (representing former Tefal CEO Mustafa Kılıç, who is a defendant in the case), and Canan Hatice Kuzu (representing Çiçek), were present. The defendants did not attend the hearing.

It was learned that plaintiff Mustafa Doğan İnal had withdrawn his complaint before the hearing.

During the hearing, the lawyers for Terkoğlu, Karadağ, and Portakal emphasized that their clients’ actions constituted journalistic activity.

While requesting acquittal for their clients, the lawyers also sought the dismissal of the case on the grounds that İnal had withdrawn his complaint.

The court issued a warrant for the compulsory appearance of Ayşenur Arslan, whose testimony had not yet been taken. Regarding Can Özçelik, whose testimony had been taken previously, the court concluded that hearing him again would not contribute to the trial and ruled to revoke the interim decision ordering his testimony.

The trial was postponed until 30 April 2026.

Background of the case

Their book “Metastaz 2: Cendere,” published in December 2020, included allegations regarding Mustafa İnal, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s former lawyer, stating that “money was given to judicial officials; courts were pressured; a French company was rescued from Turkish creditors; the reasoned decision was shown to lawyers before it was written.” These allegations were the subject of numerous news reports and interviews by many journalists.

Following İnal’s complaint, a lawsuit was first filed against Terkoğlu, Pehlivan, and Can Bursalı, alleging that they “damaged İnal’s honor, dignity, and reputation within society.” The case expanded as Nevzat Çiçek, Doğan Akın, Gökmen Karadağ, Ayşenur Arslan, Fatih Portakal, and Can Özçelik were successively added as defendants during the hearings.

Meanwhile, Mustafa İnal also filed a TL 300,000 lawsuit for moral damages against journalists Bursalı, Terkoğlu, and Independent Türkçe, alleging “an attack on his personal rights.” However, the Istanbul 11th Civil Court of First Instance ruled to dismiss the case.