Turkish courts in Istanbul and Diyarbakır are set to hear a series of high-profile trials this week targeting journalists, lawyers and artists over their social media posts, reporting, and public statements. The cases underscore ongoing concerns about freedom of expression and press freedom in Turkey.
One of the key hearings involves journalist Fatoş Erdoğan, who is among 20 people standing trial for sharing posts on social media from outside the Istanbul provincial headquarters of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) following the government’s appointment of a trustee to the party branch and the subsequent police blockade.
November 3, Monday
9:50 a.m. – Ahmet Kanbal, a reporter for the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya Agency, will appear before the Mardin 6th Criminal Court of First Instance for a procedural hearing related to a case in Adıyaman. He is charged with “publicly disseminating misleading information” under Article 217/A of the Turkish Penal Code. The charge stems from his live broadcasts during the February 2023 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş.
November 4, Tuesday
11:30 a.m. – The fifth hearing in the trial of journalists Hayri Tunç, Gülistan Dursun, Pınar Gayıp, Serpil Ünal, Can Papila, Muhammet Enes Sezgin and Osman Akın will be held at the Istanbul 24th High Criminal Court. They face charges of “terrorist propaganda” and “failing to disperse from an unlawful assembly” for participating in a memorial for Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin.
November 5, Wednesday
10:00 a.m. – The Istanbul 9th Criminal Court of First Instance will hold the first hearing in the trial of journalist Fatoş Erdoğan and 19 others. They are accused of “openly inciting others to commit a crime” over social media posts made during the appointment of a government trustee to the CHP Istanbul branch and the ensuing police blockade.
10:00 a.m. – A retrial for author, translator and publisher Azad Zal (Mehmet Güngörmüş) will take place at the Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court. He was previously sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison in 2022 for “membership in a terrorist organization,” based on his affiliation with the Kurdish Language Research and Development Association (Kürdi-Der), the Kurdish Writers’ Association, participation in funerals, and aiding guests of allegedly separatist media. An appeals court overturned the conviction, leading to the retrial.
2:00 p.m. – Journalists Dinçer Gökçe, Nilay Can, Veysi Dündar, and lawyer İrem Çiçek will appear at the third hearing of their trial at the Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance in Istanbul. They are accused of “publicly spreading misleading information” over a news report and social media posts titled “Prosecutor who brought down Yenidoğan gang removed from office.”
November 6, Thursday
9:30 a.m. – The eighth hearing in the trial of journalist Hakkı Boltan will take place at the Diyarbakır 11th Criminal Court of First Instance. He is accused of “insulting the president” and “insulting a public official” over a Kurdish-language press statement he made during curfews in Cizre in 2016. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and then-Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu are listed as complainants.
2:00 p.m. – The Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance will hold the fifth hearing in the trial of journalist and author Barış Terkoğlu and retired military officer Ahmet Zeki Üçok. They are charged with “serial public insult of public officials in connection with their duties.” Former Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Şaban Yılmaz, former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Mehmet Yılmaz, and former Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor İsmail Uçar are listed as complainants.
November 7, Friday
9:15 a.m. – The Diyarbakır 10th High Criminal Court will hold the eighth hearing in the retrial of Perihan Kaya on charges of “terrorist propaganda.” The case was reopened after an appeals court overturned a previous verdict.
9:55 a.m. – The 17th hearing in the trial of artist Ferhat Tunç will take place at the Istanbul 37th High Criminal Court. He is accused of “terrorist propaganda” based on his social media posts. A warrant for his arrest had previously been issued by the court.
