Eylem Sonbahar
Journalist Barış Terkoğlu was acquitted in a defamation case filed by Süheyb Öğüt, the ex-husband of Sabah newspaper columnist Hilal Kaplan. The case was based on Terkoğlu's interview discussing alleged "Pelikancı" factions within the ruling AK Party.
The trial, held at the Istanbul Anadolu 27th Criminal Court of First Instance, centered on Terkoğlu’s interview titled "The Istanbul War of the Pelikancıs" published in BirGün newspaper on April 7, 2019. Öğüt filed a complaint citing defamation.
Terkoğlu did not attend the fourth hearing of the trial; however, his lawyer, Enes Hikmet Ermaner, was present. Öğüt’s lawyer did not attend, submitting an excuse letter, which the judge rejected, noting it would unnecessarily prolong the process.
The prosecutor reiterated his previous opinion emphasizing "freedom of expression" and recommended acquittal. Lawyer Ermaner supported this view and requested acquittal accordingly.
The court concluded that the elements of the alleged crime were not present and ruled to acquit Barış Terkoğlu of the defamation charge.
