Medine Mamedoğlu
The trial of journalist Abdurrahman Gök, who is facing terrorism-related charges based on his professional work and the testimony of a cooperating witness, continued this week in southeastern Turkey. The Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court ruled to maintain both a travel ban and judicial control measures against him, adjourning the hearing to Feb. 26, 2026.
Gök is being prosecuted on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “spreading terrorist propaganda,” with prosecutors citing his journalism activities and statements made by Ümit Akbıyık, a cooperating witness. The ninth hearing in the case included the participation of Gök and his attorneys, Resul Temur and Mehmet Emin Aktar. Observers from the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) and the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) also attended the hearing.
The session began with identification procedures, followed by Gök’s defense statement responding to a merged indictment that includes claims from a secret witness identified by the code name “K8Ç4B3L1T5.”
“Every time, whether the witness is open or secret, the issue always comes back to a photo I took of Kemal Kurkut,” Gök told the court, referencing a widely circulated image he captured during Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakır in 2017, which showed a university student moments before he was fatally shot by police. “We can see that all the witness testimonies are shaped by a police-drafted template and turned into an indictment. A friend of mine, Dicle Müftüoğlu, was also tried in this court, and the same witness made similar statements about her. She was acquitted in the end.”
“I have said from the beginning: I am a journalist, and I have done nothing outside the profession of journalism,” he added. “I have no membership in any organization. Everything else being claimed is false. I insist that I work for Mezopotamya News Agency, and the witness also says the same. Therefore, any claims from the secret witness beyond that are untrue.”
Gök also noted his participation in journalism workshops organized by DFG and other professional associations, saying, “There is even a claim that this is evidence of criminal activity. I reject that. I demand both an acquittal and the lifting of my travel ban.”
Following his statement, the secret witness “K8Ç4B3L1T5” testified via video conference, claiming that Gök traveled to Syria as part of an “organization-related” assignment and built connections there. The witness said he had nothing further to add beyond that.
Responding to the testimony, Gök said, “I went to Syria through official channels. Anyone can search my name online and see where I reported from. This is no secret. I’ve reported from many areas. I repeat: the travel ban has effectively become a second punishment for me.”
Attorney Resul Temur criticized the witness’s testimony, saying it mirrored statements previously made about other journalists. “The secret witness made the same claims against Sedat Yılmaz regarding Mezopotamya News Agency and alleged managerial roles. But he hasn’t mentioned anything from prior identification records in today’s session. These records need to be added to the case file to show the repetitiveness and meaninglessness of these claims,” he said.
After hearing the defense statements, the court ruled to maintain the travel ban and judicial control measures and postponed the trial to Feb. 26, 2026.
Background on the case
Abdurrahman Gök is known for his critical reporting in southeastern Turkey and for capturing the final moments of Kemal Kurkut, a young man shot dead by police during Newroz festivities in Diyarbakır in 2017. The photograph, which raised questions about the official account of Kurkut’s death, brought national and international attention to Gök’s journalism.
