Deniz Tekin
Journalist Öznur Değer did not attend the first hearing of her trial on charges of “insulting a public official” due to being summoned for questioning in a separate investigation opened against her.
The case, heard at the Midyat 1st Criminal Court of First Instance in southeastern Turkey, stems from an incident that occurred while Değer, news editor at the women-focused news agency JINNEWS, was covering a condolence visit and a protest march held in Midyat, a district in Mardin province, for journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin. The two had been killed in a drone strike while reporting on developments in Syria.
Değer is accused of insulting a police officer who allegedly directed sexist insults and profanity at her during the December 2024 march, which was organized by women in front of a mourning house set up for the deceased journalists. The police officer, Mehmet Değirmenci, is listed as the complainant in the indictment.
Değer’s lawyers informed the court that she was unable to attend the hearing because she was giving a statement in a separate investigation, and requested her absence be excused. The court accepted the excuse and decided to wait for the outcome of a related hearing scheduled at the Kızıltepe 5th Criminal Court of First Instance, where Değer is expected to testify on Jan. 28, 2026.
The Midyat court adjourned the case to Feb. 10, 2026, pending the return of instructions regarding her testimony.
What happened?
On Dec. 19, 2024, during a protest march held by women in Midyat in memory of journalists Nazım Daştan and Cihan Bilgin — both killed in a Turkish drone strike in northern Syria — Değer was allegedly subjected to sexist insults and verbal abuse by a police officer while covering the event.
Although Değer filed a formal complaint against the police officer and others who had threatened and harassed her on social media, prosecutors declined to pursue charges.
Instead, the Mardin Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office prepared an indictment against Değer herself, accusing her of "insulting a public official" based on her reaction to the verbal abuse she received from the officer.
The indictment reframes Değer’s response to the officer's alleged sexist insults as criminal behavior, while the officer’s actions have not resulted in prosecution.
