Turkish journalist Ercüment Akdeniz was released under a travel ban on Wednesday after spending 243 days in pretrial detention on charges of “membership in an armed organization.” The decision came during the second hearing of his trial at the 26th High Criminal Court of Istanbul.
Semra Pelek
The prosecution’s case took a blow during the hearing when it was revealed that two of its three witnesses—Sadık Macit and Mehmet Devran—had died, while the third, Sedat Suyu, said in court that he did not know Akdeniz, could not remember his previous statements, had not attended the meeting mentioned in the indictment, and had not acted as a witness.
Akdeniz, who had been held in Marmara Prison since Feb. 22, appeared in court to deliver a defense statement in which he emphasized his identity as a journalist.
“The public knows me as a journalist—for my news reports, my work, and my books. Given this, the accusation of membership in an armed organization is absurd and against the nature of things,” he told the court.
He also mentioned that during his time in detention, he reread Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, adding: “The crime seeks its punishment. That’s the case here as well. My being on trial is an exercise in absurdity.”
Akdeniz also refuted the prosecution’s claims based on telecommunications records, stating that there was no evidence of communication with anyone affiliated with the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK), which the indictment accuses him of being involved in. He noted that a reference to “SDKP” on the cover of one of his books was misrepresented in the indictment as “MLKP,” a banned Marxist-Leninist group in Turkey.
“I see that not just as a factual error, but as ill intent,” he said.
Akdeniz further criticized the labeling of the HDK as a terrorist organization. “At the opening of Parliament, HDK Co-Spokesperson Meral Danış Beştaş attended the official reception and shook hands with the President. If such a high-level meeting can take place, why am I on trial? This is a peaceful and positive development and should continue. I have never held any position within the HDK,” he said.
The hearing was attended by several observers, including MPs from various opposition parties—Celal Fırat and Meral Danış Beştaş from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, Sera Kadıgil from the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP), and Utku Çakırözer from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). Also present were Barış Altıntaş, Co-Director of the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), and Erol Önderoğlu, Turkey Representative for Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
Akdeniz’s attorney, Özcan Karakoç, argued that no further evidence needed to be collected and requested the case proceed to closing arguments. The prosecutor opposed Akdeniz’s release, citing that the charges fall under the category of “catalog crimes” and that the opinion on the merits of the case had not yet been prepared.
After a recess, the court ordered Akdeniz’s release under judicial control measures, including a travel ban.
Background
Akdeniz was arrested on Feb. 22. In an indictment dated May 7, he was accused of participating in the HDK—alleged by prosecutors to have been established under the instructions of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK/KCK)—and of organizing actions in favor of the group and operating within its hierarchy.
The indictment also cited his attendance at a protest in Istanbul’s Gezi Park on June 29, 2013, claiming that he moved in a coordinated manner within the group. Akdeniz acknowledged that the photos were of him but questioned their authenticity, pointing to the presence of numerous Gülenist operatives within law enforcement and the judiciary at the time. He suggested the images might have been doctored.
Additionally, the prosecution used his phone calls related to press statements and demonstrations as evidence of alleged HDK membership.
