Istanbul, Turkey — Photojournalist Bülent Kılıç, represented by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), is facing defamation charges based on a complaint by Başakşehir District Police Chief Hanifi Zengin. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office accuses Kılıç of “insulting a public official due to their duty,” following an incident during the 2022 Istanbul Pride March.
The indictment, prepared after Zengin’s complaint, uses his police badge number instead of his full name, reportedly at Zengin’s request. Zengin claims that Kılıç insulted police officers during the Pride March by calling them “animals” after witnessing what he described as excessive police intervention. Kılıç allegedly repeated the term “you’re behaving like animals” despite a warning to mind his words, prompting Zengin to file the complaint.
Prosecutor alleges indirect admission, seeks repeat-offender penalty
The indictment states that Kılıç denied the charges but alleges he made a “partial admission” through indirect statements. It further claims that Kılıç was arrested by a Criminal Judgeship of Peace during the investigation and argues there is sufficient evidence to suspect him of the crime. The prosecutor also notes a prior conviction for a similar offense, requesting that repeat-offender provisions be applied.
Kılıç learns of charges during airport arrest
The Istanbul 67th Criminal Court of First Instance accepted the indictment and issued an arrest warrant for Kılıç to ensure his testimony. Kılıç learned of the case on Oct. 29, 2024, when he was detained at Istanbul Airport. He was later released and, accompanied by his MLSA lawyer, provided his statement to the court on Nov. 1.
Kılıç: "I intervened when journalists were being kicked"
In his defense, Kılıç denied the charges, stating:
“I have been a journalist for 22 years and was there to report on the Pride March with my press card and camera. On June 26, 2022, police intervened with both protesters and journalists. When I saw journalists being kicked by police officers, I tried to stop them and said, ‘This is not something you’d do even to animals.’ I did not say, ‘You are behaving like animals’ to any police officer. I reject the accusations and have filed a criminal complaint against Chief Hanifi Zengin for assaulting journalists.”
Lawyer criticizes investigation as flawed
Kılıç’s lawyer, MLSA Legal Unit representative Muhammed Ünsal, argued the investigation lacked diligence. “The indictment contains factual errors, such as incorrect dates and false claims about my client’s arrest and statements. A review of his police testimony will prove these errors. My client is innocent and did not commit the alleged offense. We request his acquittal,” he said.
Court lifts arrest warrant, postpones trial
The court lifted the arrest warrant against Kılıç and adjourned the trial to Dec. 9, 2024. The case has drawn attention due to ongoing concerns over press freedom and police treatment of journalists in Turkey.
