Eylem Sonbahar
Turkish artist Cihan Çelik has been sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison on charges of "making terrorist propaganda" for performing a song about the 1921 Koçgiri Massacre at an event in Belgium. The court ruled to suspend the announcement of the verdict, meaning the sentence will not be enforced unless he commits another offense within a set probation period.
The second hearing in Çelik’s trial was held at the Istanbul 22nd High Criminal Court. While Çelik did not attend, his lawyer, Servet Serençelik, was present.
The prosecutor, repeating the final opinion submitted in a previous hearing on Nov. 14, argued that images displayed on stage during Çelik’s performance and the lyrics of the song "Koçgiri Başladı Harba" glorified, legitimized, and encouraged violence. The prosecutor claimed the song went beyond freedom of expression and called for punishment.
In his defense, lawyer Serençelik emphasized that his client performed the song at a concert over a decade ago and that it was not a live broadcast. He also noted that Çelik had his back turned to the screen displaying the images and that this was documented in the case file. Serençelik further stated that other court rulings had addressed the use of the word "Kurdistan" in similar cases and argued that Çelik had no intent to commit a crime, requesting an acquittal.
After a brief recess, the court announced its verdict, sentencing Çelik to 1 year and 3 months in prison for "making terrorist propaganda." However, the court suspended the announcement of the verdict (HAGB), meaning the sentence will not be enforced if Çelik does not commit another offense within the probation period.
