Journalist Nurcan Yalçın is set to stand trial, facing up to 10 years in prison for allegedly violating Turkey's Anti-Terror Financing Law after transferring 400 TL to a prisoner. The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has accused Yalçın of financially supporting terrorism by sending money to a convicted inmate.
The case stems from an incident in which Yalçın transferred 400 TL to an inmate who had shared a prison with fellow journalist Kibriye Evren, who was detained in Diyarbakır from 2018 to 2019. Evren had been imprisoned on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and was one of Yalçın’s contacts during that period. Yalçın and another journalist, Derya Us, were detained during a raid on May 6, 2024, for allegedly sending funds to prisoners. After two days in custody, both were released on the condition of a travel ban and weekly check-ins with the police.
The indictment details that in 2018, Yalçın sent 300 TL to Kibriye Evren, and in 2019, she transferred 400 TL to another inmate named Songül Aşıla, who was also imprisoned at Diyarbakır’s E-Type Closed Prison. While prison records confirm that Yalçın visited Evren between 2018 and 2019, there are no visitation records linking her to Aşıla.
In her testimony, Evren explained that during her time in Diyarbakır’s E- and T-Type prisons, her friends, including Yalçın and Derya Us, sent money to help with her needs since her family lived in Istanbul. She added that Yalçın may have sent money to Aşıla as a favor, given that Aşıla was a fellow inmate.
Yalçın, in her defense, acknowledged her friendship with Evren and confirmed that she had visited her in prison. However, she denied knowing Aşıla, stating that she had only sent money to her due to Evren’s request. Aşıla, who currently resides abroad, has not yet provided testimony in the case.
The prosecutor argues that while no direct link between Yalçın and Aşıla has been established, and Yalçın is not listed as one of Aşıla’s visitors, the money transfer itself serves as sufficient evidence of the crime.
The indictment was accepted by the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court, which decided to merge this case with another ongoing case against Yalçın at the Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court.
Background
Kibriye Evren, a journalist who was detained between 2018 and 2019, had been charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” for her journalistic activities. Both Evren and Yalçın have been active in covering sensitive political and human rights issues, which has drawn the attention of authorities in Turkey, a country where press freedom has come under increasing pressure.
The Anti-Terror Financing Law, which forms the basis for the case against Yalçın, has been used in recent years to target individuals accused of providing financial assistance to groups labeled as terrorist organizations by the Turkish government. Critics argue that the law is sometimes applied broadly, ensnaring journalists and activists.
