Eylem Sonbahar
Journalist Furkan Karabay faced court proceedings at the Istanbul 47th Criminal Court of First Instance on March 27, 2024, following a complaint from Bilal Erdoğan, son of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Karabay stands accused of "insult" and "slander" based on statements he made on social media. In his defense, Karabay asserted that his use of the word "müdavim" (regular) is not insulting, arguing that an insult would be equivalent to using a term like "idiot". He firmly requested his acquittal, denying any wrongdoing.
During the hearing, Karabay, accompanied by his lawyer, refuted the charges. "I am a journalist. I admit to posting the tweet mentioned in the indictment. There is no insult in the tweet directed at the plaintiff. The term 'müdavim' is not an insult. If I had called someone an idiot, that would be an insult. I request to be acquitted," he stated.
Karabay rejected the proposal of a deferred sentencing, reiterating his stance of not having committed a crime. His lawyer requested the removal of judicial control measures imposed on Karabay, which include signing in at a police station weekly and a travel ban.
Bilal Erdoğan's lawyer, Ferah Yıldız, confirmed the continuation of their complaint and their desire to participate in the lawsuit. Yıldız argued against merging this case with another ongoing case against Karabay initiated by Erdoğan's former lawyer, Mustafa Doğan İnal, at the Istanbul 5th Criminal Court of First Instance.
The prosecutor advocated for Bilal Erdoğan and his lawyer to join the case due to their potential harm from the alleged crime and requested to prepare a formal opinion.
The court granted Erdoğan and his lawyer's request to participate in the lawsuit. It also decided to write to the Istanbul 5th Criminal Court of First Instance to obtain the indictment and decision records of case number 2023/522. Furthermore, the court agreed to lift the judicial control measures imposed on Karabay and deferred the hearing to June 25, 2024.
Background of the Case
The case against Karabay stemmed from his post on November 2, 2023, on the X Platform. Karabay had alleged involvement of certain individuals, including Mustafa Doğan İnal, Bilal Erdoğan, and Metin Güneş, in controversial activities within the Anadolu Courthouse. He claimed these individuals, who had connections to President Erdoğan, influenced court decisions for monetary gain. The journalist singled out Judge Sidar Demiroğlu for allegedly covering up a "bloody incident" involving İnal and Güneş and frequently issuing access bans to news stories about them on the same day.
These allegations led to the current legal action against Karabay, with Bilal Erdoğan filing a complaint for "insult" and "slander".
