Nalin Öztekin
A criminal case has been requested against BirGün journalist Mustafa Mert Bildircin over his investigative reports on Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet). A petition submitted on behalf of Diyanet President Ali Erbaş alleges that the reports insulted religious values.
Bildircin, who also serves as deputy chair of the Ankara branch of the Contemporary Journalists Association, is under investigation for 13 reports on Diyanet’s expenditures and official statements. The case file, in which Erbaş is listed as the complainant, seeks to charge Bildircin with "inciting hatred and enmity" and "publicly spreading misleading information." Bildircin gave a statement at Çankaya Police Station in Ankara, while his lawyer, Ali Deniz Ceylan, submitted a written defense.
Criticism of Diyanet equated with insulting religious values
The investigation was triggered by articles such as "Cut from the people, invest in a villa," "Special Hajj visa without a lottery," and "Diyanet spent the equivalent of 15,880 daily minimum wages." The petition submitted on Erbaş’s behalf argues that these reports violated his personal rights and "openly insulted religious values." It further claims that the articles targeted religious beliefs and mocked religious values by focusing on the financial activities of Diyanet and its foundation.
‘Ali Erbaş is not a sacred figure, he is a public official’
In his defense, lawyer Ali Deniz Ceylan emphasized that Diyanet is a public institution, not a religious value in itself:
"The provision in Article 216/3 of the Turkish Penal Code protects religious values embraced by segments of the public. However, the Directorate of Religious Affairs is not a religious value—it is a public institution established to manage Islamic beliefs, worship, and moral principles, as well as to provide religious guidance and oversee places of worship. The complainant is not a sacred religious figure; he is merely the head of this institution. These reports and statements are an exercise of freedom of expression."
‘We will continue holding officials accountable’
In his testimony, Bildircin criticized Erbaş, arguing that he acts more like a political figure than a public official:
"Ali Erbaş, who has become a symbol of extravagance with every decision he makes, is trying to silence journalists through legal means. His baseless accusations have not intimidated any of my colleagues, and they won’t intimidate me either. We will continue practicing journalism and demanding accountability for public spending."
The Contemporary Journalists Association also condemned the investigation, stating:
"This case, which targets reports based entirely on documented evidence and produced in the public interest, confirms our concerns about the Disinformation Law. It is particularly telling that Erbaş is using this law to shield himself from scrutiny over the extravagant spending of the institution he leads. We reaffirm our commitment to resisting pressure on journalists and emphasize once again that journalism is not a crime."
