Journalist Timur Soykan and BirGün newspaper appeared in court for the first hearing of a defamation lawsuit filed by Halkbank, which is seeking 1 million TL in damages over a 2022 report alleging that the state-owned bank granted loans totaling 480 million TL to a criminal organization.
The case, heard by the Anadolu 6th Commercial Court of First Instance, stems from Soykan’s article published in BirGün titled "Halkbank granted 550 million loans to mafia", which cited a Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) report. The article alleges that the bank issued 25 loans to companies linked to the Ayhan Bora Kaplan criminal network between 2021 and 2022.
Court orders expert review of report
During the hearing, Halkbank’s lawyer reiterated the demand for damages, arguing that the report was false and harmful to the bank’s reputation. In response, Soykan’s lawyer defended the article’s accuracy, asserting it was based on official MASAK findings. The defense requested that the court review the MASAK report to establish the article's factual foundation.
The court granted the request, ordering an expert review of the MASAK report, and adjourned the trial to April 10, 2025.
Background and implications
Halkbank previously denied the allegations and secured an access ban on the article from Istanbul Anadolu 9th Criminal Judgeship of Peace, which justified the ban on the grounds of “violation of personal rights” but provided no substantive explanation.
The case raises concerns about press freedom in Turkey, as it involves a state-owned institution leveraging financial and judicial power against a critical news outlet. Observers and press organizations have flagged the lawsuit as a potential deterrent to investigative reporting on corruption and financial misconduct.
