MLSA - A Turkish court has issued a compulsory appearance order for journalist Ayşenur Arslan in an ongoing trial over the book Metastaz 2: Cendere, in which she is among several journalists accused of “insult” and “defamation.” The Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance made the decision on the grounds that Arslan has not yet given her defense statement in the case.
The hearing, held without the attendance of any of the defendant journalists, involved legal representatives for all accused. The book’s authors, Barış Terkoğlu and Barış Pehlivan, were represented by their lawyer, who argued that Metastaz 2 was written in the context of journalistic work and noted that the complainant, lawyer Mustafa Doğan İnal, had withdrawn his complaint. The lawyer requested that the charges be dropped and the case dismissed accordingly.
Attorneys for the other journalists, including Can Bursalı, Nevzat Çiçek, Doğan Akın, Gökmen Karadağ, Fatih Portakal, Can Özçelik, and Ayşenur Arslan, also emphasized that İnal had retracted his complaint and similarly sought acquittals or dismissal.
The court stated that defendant Can Özçelik had previously testified and there was no need to hear from him again. However, the presiding judge noted that Ayşenur Arslan had not yet provided her defense statement and ordered her to be brought to the next hearing by force. The trial was adjourned to April 30, 2026, at 2:20 p.m.
Background
The case centers on claims made in Metastaz 2: Cendere, a December 2020 book by investigative journalists Barış Terkoğlu and Barış Pehlivan. The book referenced allegations that money was paid to members of the judiciary and that courts were subject to external influence. The accusations were reportedly based on a secretly recorded audio file from inside a courthouse.
Following the publication, lawyer Mustafa Doğan İnal, who is mentioned in the book, filed both criminal and civil lawsuits against multiple journalists. The initial case targeted Terkoğlu, Pehlivan, and journalist Can Bursalı, on the grounds that the allegations damaged İnal’s honor, dignity, and social reputation.
That case was later merged with similar complaints against other journalists, including Nevzat Çiçek, Doğan Akın, Gökmen Karadağ, Ayşenur Arslan, Fatih Portakal, and Can Özçelik.
In a separate civil lawsuit, İnal sought TL 300,000 (approximately $10,000 at the time) in non-pecuniary damages from Can Bursalı, Barış Terkoğlu, and Independent Türkçe, claiming violation of personal rights. That case was rejected by the Istanbul 11th Civil Court of First Instance.
