Medine Mamedoğlu
A court in southeastern Turkey has lifted a travel ban imposed on journalist Abdurrahman Gök, who is on trial on charges of “membership in an armed organization” and “making propaganda for an armed organization,” allegations based on his professional activities and the statements of a cooperating witness.
The 10th hearing in Gök’s trial was held at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court. Diyarbakır is the largest city in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, where cases involving alleged links to outlawed Kurdish militants are frequently heard.
Gök and his lawyers, Resul Temur and Mehmet Emin Aktar, attended the hearing. Representatives from the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG), the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), and the headquarters of the Human Rights Association (İHD) also monitored the session as observers.
After a break, the court ruled to lift the ban preventing Gök from traveling abroad. The panel adjourned the trial until June 16 at 9:05 a.m. to address outstanding procedural issues.
The hearing began with the identification of the defendant. Taking the floor first, Gök said he was reiterating his previous defense statements and that he had no additional requests at this stage.
His lawyer, Mehmet Emin Aktar, then drew attention to the ongoing travel ban imposed as part of judicial control measures. Aktar argued that the restriction had been prolonged during the proceedings and had effectively turned into a form of punishment.
Lawyer Resul Temur said he agreed with his colleague’s remarks and did not present a separate defense statement.
Gök is being tried on the basis of his journalistic work and the testimony of Ümit Akbıyık, described in the indictment as a cooperating witness. The case is part of a broader pattern of prosecutions in Turkey in which journalists have faced charges related to terrorism laws, often criticized by press freedom advocates as being used to stifle reporting, particularly on Kurdish issues.
