EYLEM SONBAHAR
Faruk Eren, the former responsible editor of Cumhuriyet newspaper, has been acquitted of charges related to the alleged improper publication of a correction and response notice. The Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance ruled that the elements of the alleged crime were not present, bringing the four-year legal battle to an end.
Case background
The case stemmed from a report published on April 30, 2018, in Cumhuriyet titled, “Successive presidents revealed as former business partners; new president's company wins municipal contract; politics becomes insurance for trade.” The article, which accused officials of unethical business dealings, prompted Halit Sabaz, the complainant, to demand a correction.
While Cumhuriyet published the correction on June 8, 2018, Sabaz argued that it was not done in accordance with legal requirements, leading to charges against Eren under laws governing corrections and responses in the press.
Initially, the court issued a ruling against Eren with a suspended sentence under a deferred judgment (HAGB). However, Turkey's Constitutional Court later found a violation of Eren’s rights under the deferred judgment decision, ordering a retrial in the lower court.
Trial and acquittal
At the fourth hearing, which Eren did not attend, his lawyer Abbas Yalçın requested acquittal, citing the Constitutional Court’s ruling. The prosecutor reiterated their earlier opinion, seeking a conviction. However, the court ultimately sided with the defense, ruling that the case lacked the necessary elements of a crime.
Broader implications
The decision is a significant victory for press freedom advocates in Turkey, where journalists frequently face legal challenges for their work. Rights groups have long criticized the use of correction-related charges and deferred judgment as tools to suppress critical reporting.
