Eylem Sonbahar
An Istanbul court has issued a warrant to compel journalist Furkan Karabay to appear in court in a case filed against him by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his children, Bilal Erdoğan, Ahmet Burak Erdoğan, and Sümeyye Erdoğan Bayraktar.
The first hearing of the trial was held at Istanbul’s 56th Criminal Court of First Instance. The case stems from comments Karabay made during an appearance on journalist Mirgün Cabas’ YouTube program on Jan. 19. He is facing charges of "insulting the president," "insult," and "slander" following complaints from Erdoğan and his family members.
Karabay did not attend the hearing, but his lawyer, Özge Naz Akkaya, was present. Akkaya informed the court that her client would be present at the next session. The prosecutor requested that any missing procedural requirements be completed.
The court ruled to issue a warrant to compel Karabay’s appearance and postponed the trial to Feb. 21 at 11:55 a.m.
Details from the indictment
The indictment, prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, cited Karabay’s remarks on the YouTube program, including: "I think he’s already taken what he was going to take for his family. His family is already well positioned in maritime transportation. They also have a substantial capital, and the Man Island documents had surfaced. In my opinion, Erdoğan has taken what he was going to take..." and "...he has taken it in terms of capital as well..."
Prosecutors argued that these statements constituted a concrete accusation of illicit gains and that the fact that the video was widely viewed on YouTube met the criterion of public dissemination of the alleged offense.
The prosecutor claimed that Karabay made these remarks with the intent to insult President Erdoğan and his family and that the legal elements of the slander charge were present. Citing sufficient evidence, the prosecutor requested Karabay’s conviction on charges of "insulting the president," "insult," and "slander."
