MLSA- The trial of writer Yavuz Ekinci, who was charged with “terrorist propaganda” over his novel Rüyası Bölünenler (Those Whose Dream Was Divided), has been dismissed due to the statute of limitations.
Ekinci appeared before the Istanbul 23rd High Criminal Court on charges of “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” (under Article 7/2 of Turkey’s Anti-Terror Law), based on content in his novel published in August 2014. The hearing was monitored by observers from Norwegian PEN and the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA).
During the session, the prosecutor submitted the final opinion and requested that the case be dropped due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. Ekinci, on the other hand, requested full acquittal.
His lawyer, Can Ekinci, argued that the book in question is a work of fiction and that the characters have no connection to real individuals. “The protagonist is not the author himself, but an abstract character. This work should be evaluated within the scope of freedom of expression. Since the elements of the propaganda charge are not present, we request our client’s acquittal. Alternatively, the case should be dropped due to the statute of limitations,” the attorney said.
After a brief recess, the court announced its decision, ruling that the case be dismissed on the grounds that the legal time limit for prosecution had expired.
Background of the case
The investigation into Yavuz Ekinci began on Feb. 8, 2023, following a complaint submitted to the Presidential Communications Center (CİMER). The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, specifically the Bureau for Terror and Organized Crime Investigations, filed charges against Ekinci over his 2014 novel Rüyası Bölünenler, published by Doğan Kitap, alleging it constituted terrorist propaganda.
Ekinci gave his statement on Oct. 1, 2023. On May 8, 2024, the prosecutor’s office completed its investigation and filed an indictment, which was accepted by the Istanbul 23rd High Criminal Court.
On Dec. 9, 2024, the court dismissed the case on grounds of duplicate prosecution, noting that Ekinci had previously been tried and convicted by the Istanbul 34th High Criminal Court for the same offense. However, the prosecution appealed this decision.
On May 8, 2025, the 3rd Penal Chamber of the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice overturned the lower court's ruling, stating that the acts in the two cases took place on different dates. The chamber sent the case back to the 23rd High Criminal Court for retrial.
