Dozens of journalists are accused of terror crimes in various trials related to the pro-Kurdish Özgür Gündem newspaper, which was shut down under a cabinet decree on Aug. 16, 2016 after Turkey’s coup attempt.
Before the coup attempt, which was followed by the imposition of State of Emergency rule in Turkey, journalists launched a solidarity campaign for Özgür Gündem on May 3, 2016. As part of the campaign, colleagues who normally didn’t work for the newspaper stood in as the editor-in-chief of Özgür Gündem for one day; a symbolic act of solidarity with the newspaper, which has traditionally been harassed by governments for its pro-Kurdish alignment.
The campaign ended on Aug. 7, 2016, but 50 of the 56 journalists who participated in the campaign were prosecuted on terror related charges. Courts ruled to dismiss the investigations against 11 of the journalists, while 38 journalists were charged. The charges were dropped in only one of these trials.
The following is a summary of the separate trials, compiled by Bianet’s Elif Akgül.
Journalists who were charged for participating in the campaign
The journalists who were charged with “spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization” and “publishing statements issued by terror organizations” are A. Kumru Başer, Ahmet Nesin, Ayşe Batumlu, Ayşe Düzkan, Beyza Üstün, Can Dündar, Celal Başlangıç, Celalettin Can, Cengiz Baysoy, Çilem Küçükkkeleş, Derya Okatan, Dicle Anter, Erol Önderoğlu, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Faruk Balıkçı, Faruk Eren, Fehim Işık, Hüseyin Tahmaz, Hakkı Boltan, Hasan Cemal, Hasan Hayri Şanlı, İbrahim Bodur, İhsan Çaralan, Julide Kural, Murat Çelikkan, Murat Uyurkulak, Nadire Mater, Necmiye Alpay, Nevin Erdemir, Öncü Akgül, Ragıp Duran, Said Sefa, Şanar Yurdatapan, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Veysi Altay, Yıldırım Türker.
Charges launched against actress Deniz Türkali were dropped on the grounds that the statute of limitations on time had expired.
Separate cases launched into Hüseyin Aykol, the former Editor-in-Chief of Özgür Gündem who was acting during the solidarity campaign, and the newspaper columnists Mehmet Ali Çelebi and Hüseyin Bektaş were merged with the trials of campaign participants Düzkan and Duran.
Charges against Özgür Gündem writers
Apart from the solidarity campaign, Özgür Gündem writers Ömer Ağın, Dilşah Kocakaya, İmam Canpolat and İlham Bakır were charged with terrorism propaganda for articles published in the newspaper.
Three participants of the Özgür Gündem campaign -- Turkey Reporters Without Borders (RSF) representative Erol Önderoğlu, journalist Ahmet Nesin and head of the Turkey Human Rights Foundation (TİHV) Şebnem Korur Fincancı, were imprisoned for ten days after being arrested on June 20, 2016. Their last hearing was on Dec. 27, 2017. The case was adjourned until April 18, 2018.
Cases that have ended
Final verdicts were issued in 22 of the trials, which collectively resulted in prison sentences of 235 months and 15 days and monetary fines of TL 68,000 in total.
The campaign participants convicted in these trials were Şanar Yurdatapan, İbrahim Bodur, Cengiz Baysoy, İmam Canpolat, Çilem Küçükkeleş, Nadire Mater, Yıldırım Türker, Hasan Cemal, Faruk Balıkçı, Dicle Anter, Derya Okatan, Kumru Başer, Ayşe Batumlu, Jülide Kural, İlham Bakır, Murat Uyurkulak, Murat Çelikkan, Beyza Üstün, and Tuğrul Eryılmaz.
All of the prison sentences were deferred, with the exception of Çelikkan and Canpolat. Çelikkan was imprisoned on Aug. 14, 2017 in relation with the conviction, and later released on Oct. 21, 2017. Canpolat hasn’t yet been incarcerated.
Three acquittals
Three journalists, Hasan Hayri Şanlı, Nevin Erdemir and Hakkı Boltan were released.
Charges against İnan Kızılkaya
Another prominent suspect in all of the 38 trials against the solidarity campaigners was İnan Kızılkaya -- the “responsible editor” of the daily; a position, whose holder carries all the legal liability for the publications of a newspaper and it is mandatory under Turkish press laws to appoint such a person.
Kızılkaya’s case files were later separated from the trials against the solidarity campaign participants, and merged with another trial -- called the main Özgür Gündem trial -- against the newspaper. This trial is being heard by the İstanbul 23rd High Criminal Case and the other suspects are : Özgür Gündem’s Publications Advisory Board Members Necmiye Alpay, Aslı Erdoğan, Ragıp Zarakolu, Filiz Koçali, Eren Keskin, managing editors Zana Kaya, İnan Kızılkaya, Kemal Sancılı and Bilge Oykut.
The “Responsible” Editor Kızılkaya was also imprisoned in the trial. He was released after spending 441 days in jail. Özgür Gündem owner Kemal Sancılı spent 301 days in prison as part of the same trial.
Upcoming Trials
* 18 April 2018
,Erol Önderoğlu, Ahmet Nesin, Şebnem Korur Fincancı
İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court
* 18 January 2018, Ayşe Düzkan, Ragıp Duran - İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court
* 15 March 2018,
Faruk Eren, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Celal Başlangıç, Ömer Ağın, İhsan Çaralan, Celalettin Can, Fehim Işık, Öncü Akgül, Dilşah Kocakaya , İstanbul 14th High Criminal Court.
