Journalist Barış Terkoğlu was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of "targeting individuals involved in counter-terrorism efforts," stemming from a complaint by Deputy Justice Minister Akın Gürlek. The verdict was delivered during the 11th hearing at the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court.
The charges were related to articles published on the Odatv website and in Cumhuriyet newspaper, which criticized certain judicial decisions, allegedly implicating Deputy Justice Minister Gürlek. In the courtroom, Terkoğlu, defended by his attorneys, reiterated his role as a journalist and denied legal responsibility for the content as it was sourced from Anka News Agency and published during his tenure as News Director at Odatv.
During his defense, Terkoğlu argued that the judiciary, including judges and prosecutors, are citizens who can be criticized for their actions. He emphasized that providing them with immunity against criticism is unconstitutional. "How can I be targeting someone I did not even name? This case was opened so that no one would criticize Akın Gürlek. But I will continue to write and criticize as before. I am a journalist, and I am being unjustly prosecuted," Terkoğlu stated.
Terkoğlu’s lawyer, Tugay Tokbaş, pointed out that the accused article was a repost from Anka News Agency, arguing that labeling a judge as a counter-terrorism official would misplace the judge into a hierarchical structure that does not exist, as judges are not counter-terrorism officers. He insisted that the material and moral elements of the crime were not met and requested acquittal.
Another defense attorney, Enes Hikmet Ermaner, highlighted that the victim, Akın Gürlek, is a public figure known for signing many significant verdicts, which does not grant him immunity from public scrutiny or criticism. "For a crime to occur, my client would have needed a specific motive to target the victim, which is not the case here. The news item in Odatv came from an agency, and the column did not specify which judge or court, merely discussing the decisions made. We request an acquittal," Ermaner stated.
In his final statement, Terkoğlu appealed for a decision that respects his constitutional rights. Despite the defenses, the court concluded with a two-year prison sentence for Terkoğlu based on the charges of targeting counter-terrorism officials.
