Below is a schedule of trials in Turkey this week where people are accused of various charges for expressing their beliefs or working for newspapers:
12 February, Monday
Altan brothers, Ilıcak and others
Journalists Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan, Nazlı Ilıcak and three others will appear before the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court at 10:00 am. The prosecutor wants life for the defendants, who are accused of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order. The hearing will last the entire week and the final verdict is also expected by Friday.
13 February, Tuesday
National Intelligence Agency trucks Syria weapons trial
Enis Berberoğlu, a politician from the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) is being tried in this case being heard by the 2nd Chamber of the İstanbul Regional Court of Justice, which is essentially an appellate court. The court is hearing the trial of Berberoğlu, who was convicted of espionage charges and given 25 years in prison by the Istanbul 14th Hİgh Criminal Court on charges of having leaked photos that might have suggested that trucks operated by the Turkish intelligence agency MİT carried weapons to fighting groups in syria. This will be the third hearing in the retrial. The court is on the Anatolian side and to date all the hearings have been held in a closed fashion.
Çağdaş Erdoğan trial
Freelance photojournalist Çağdaş Erdoğan, who has been in prison since 13 September 2017, will appear before the Istanbul 33rd High Criminal Court at 11:15 am on terror membership charges.
Academics for peace
At 9.20 and 9.40 am in the Istanbul 36th High Criminal Court, academics from Koç and Arel Universities will be tried for signing a petition calling for an end to operations that were conducted in the Kurdish-populated provinces in Turkey. Academics from Marmara University Özyeğin University, Kadir Has University and Yıldız Teknik will also be tried at the 36th High Criminal Court.
The academics for peace have been reluctant to share names of the defendants, which makes it hard to include identities in trial schedules. However, court reporters for Bianet have so far covered all these trials in detail, which has made it possible to find out the names of the defendants once the hearings are held.
14 February, Wednesday
HDP leader on trial
The co-chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtaş will be tried at the Ankara 19th High Criminal Court. Prosecutors are seeking up to 142 years for him on terror-related charges.
15 February, Thursday
Academics for peace
At 8.30 am in the 36th High Criminal Court, one academic from Kadir Has University will be on trial. Their identity will be available at a later time.
Presidential insult case against journalists
Journalists İnan Ketenciler and Perihan Mağden will be tried at 10.50 am by the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on charges of insulting the president.
ByLock charges against journalists
Cihan News agency presidential office reporter Gürkan Tuzlu, Mesut Ertaç, Ömer Faruk Aydemir, Zaman reporter Muhsin Pilgir, Bugün employees Mehmet Ali Ay, Ahmet Feyzullah Özyurt, Birgün daily editor Burak Ekici, former TRT employee Yusuf Duran, Cihan reporter Mutlu Özay and Can Erzincan TV employee Hüdaverdi Yıldırım will be on trial on charges of having downloaded or used a mobile app called ByLock, which Turkish authorities associate with membership in the Fethullah Gülen network, which was allegedly behind the coup attempt of 15 July 2016.
16 February, Friday
MİT Trucks Case
At the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court, former Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Can Dündar, who is abroad and Cumhuriyet Ankara Bureau Chief are being tried on “helping a terrorist organization” in this case which is related to a news report that appeared in Cumhurieyt that suggested that trucks operated by the Turkish National Intelligence Agency carried weapons to armed groups in Syria.
