Mehmet Kamış, former deputy Editor-in-Chief of the now-closed Zaman newspaper, will remain in custody due to concerns over potential flight risk, a court ruled on February 13. The decision was made during his trial for charges related to an investigation into the Gülen Movement, referred pejoratively as FETÖ by the Turkish judiciary and pro-government-press.
Kamış, along with nine others, had their cases separated from a group of 17 defendants, including Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan, and Ekrem Dumanlı, in a hearing dated September 19, 2017. Kamış was detained in İzmir on November 23, 2023, and subsequently arrested by the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court.
In the court's 20th hearing held today (February 13, 2024), Kamış, brought from Marmara Closed Prison, faced charges of "attempting to abolish the Turkish Grand National Assembly or prevent it from performing its duties," "attempting to abolish the government of the Republic of Turkey or prevent it from performing its duties," "attempting to abolish the constitutional order," and "membership in a terrorist organization."
Presiding with two gendarmes, Kamış attended the hearing, which started two hours late, with his lawyer Osman Yedekçi and a lawyer representing the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Furkan Keskin. The court president informed the audience, which included Kamış's relatives, about new documents added to the file and the ongoing inability to execute arrest warrants for other defendants.
Kamış, declaring his lifelong aspiration to be a journalist, denied using the ByLock app, a communication tool allegedly used by Gülen Movement members, and requested his release.
His lawyer, Yedekçi, argued that working at Zaman newspaper was legal and legitimate, and could not be used as evidence of guilt. He also dismissed the significance of finding books by Fethullah Gülen in Kamış’s home, noting that such books were also sold in official religious bookstores. Yedekçi requested Kamış's release for trial without detention.
The prosecutor, citing the nature and severity of the accusations and flight risk, requested the continuation of Kamış's detention. After a 10-minute recess, the court decided to maintain Kamış's detention based on strong suspicion of crime and potential flight risk, deeming judicial control measures insufficient. The court also decided to wait for the execution of arrest warrants for other defendants and adjourned the hearing to May 2.
This case is part of the ongoing legal actions in Turkey against individuals associated with the Gülen Movement, which the Turkish government blames for the failed coup attempt in 2016 and considers a terrorist organization. The trials have raised international concerns about press freedom and the rule of law in Turkey.
