The fourth day of hearings in the trial involving the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IBB) sparked controversy after the court panel asked journalists to leave the press section and move to the back of the courtroom. Reporters objected, saying they were being placed in a position where they would not be able to follow the proceedings. Journalism organizations said the practice violated the principle of open trials and the public’s right to receive information.
MLSA - The incident occurred during the fourth hearing of the IBB trial on Thursday, March 12. The court panel asked journalists to leave the designated press area and move to a section at the back of the courtroom. Journalists objected to being moved to a point where they would not be able to hear the hearing.
When journalists refused to leave their seats, the presiding judge adjourned the hearing until Monday, March 16, citing “the inability to maintain order.”
Journalists: We were not told why
Journalist Hilmi Hacaloğlu, who was following the hearing, said that during a break they briefly asked Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu several questions.
According to journalists attending the hearing, the exchange lasted about one and a half minutes. After the dialogue, the court panel returned to the courtroom and, based on information received from the gendarmerie, asked for the journalists’ seats to be changed.
Journalists said the presiding judge pointed to them and asked that they be moved to the very back of the courtroom. When they asked why such a decision had been made, they said they received no answer. They stated that they did not accept moving to a place where it would be impossible for them to follow the hearing.
Reaction from professional organizations
The Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS) criticized the practice, saying it made it difficult for reporters to perform their duties.
In a statement, the union said that during the hearing of the case in which 402 people—including Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) presidential candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu—are on trial, the presiding judge tried to position journalists in a way that would make it difficult for them to follow the proceedings.
“Hearings are public. This attitude means an intervention in the public’s right to receive information,” the statement said. It added that if journalists are prevented from doing their job, the question “What is being hidden from the public?” will come to the agenda. The union called for the practice to be abandoned at the next hearing scheduled for Monday, March 16.
The Turkish Journalists’ Association (TGC) also criticized the practice, reminding that journalists’ right to follow court hearings is guaranteed by the constitution.
In a statement issued by its board of directors, the TGC said journalists in Turkey face various difficulties while carrying out their profession and that restrictions on following court cases continue. It said that in some cases journalists are not allowed into courtrooms or face practices that make it difficult for them to do their work.
The statement noted that at the hearing of the IBB case held on Thursday, March 12, journalists were asked to leave the press section and move to a place without desks or power outlets, making it difficult to follow the hearing.
The TGC recalled that after this decision—said to have been taken because journalists asked questions to Ekrem İmamoğlu—the presiding judge adjourned the hearing due to “the inability to maintain order” when journalists refused to move from their seats.
The statement included the following remarks:
“A journalist has the right to freely access all sources of information and to monitor and investigate all events that shape public life and concern the public. Freedom of the press and freedom of expression are constitutional rights and should not be restricted. In the IBB case, the main issue is not the conduct of journalists. The court’s decision creates a deterrent effect against journalists who follow the judicial process. It casts a shadow over the openness and transparency of the trial. This situation is a violation of the public’s right to receive information protected by Article 28 of the Constitution.”
The TGC said it expects the court panel to make the necessary arrangements so that journalists can continue their work at the press desk and follow the case under proper conditions.
The 402-defendant IBB trial
The trial, in which 402 defendants—including CHP presidential candidate and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu—are being prosecuted, is being heard by the Istanbul 40th High Criminal Court at the Marmara Prison Complex in Silivri, on the outskirts of Istanbul. Of the defendants, 106 are currently in pretrial detention.
The first hearing of the case was held on March 9. During the first day of proceedings, defense lawyers raised criticisms about the impartiality of the court panel and requested the recusal of the judges. The panel rejected both the recusal and the requests to separate the cases.
Trials held in courtrooms established within prison complexes have long been controversial in Turkey in terms of the ability of the press and the public to follow proceedings and the principle of open justice.
