Deniz Tekin
Journalist Şehriban Aslan and two employees of the Diyarbakır Provincial Directorate of Family and Social Services have been charged with "violating the confidentiality of private life" following a report published on Jin News. The report alleged misuse of public vehicles by officials at the Directorate. The first hearing is set for Jan. 29 at the Diyarbakır 16th Criminal Court of First Instance.
Background on the allegations
The report, titled "The Family and Social Services Directorate exempt from austerity measures!" accused Deputy Directors Burhanettin İncedursun and Ayşe Nur Baysal of using government vehicles for personal errands. It also claimed that employees who objected to these practices were reassigned to other positions.
Following the report’s publication, the two deputy directors filed a criminal complaint, alleging that the article defamed them, damaged their professional reputation, and violated their privacy by including secretly recorded footage.
Details from the investigation
The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office prepared an indictment against journalist Şehriban Aslan, Directorate lawyer Remzi Atalay, and Yusuf Erdener, a manager at the Directorate.
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Şehriban Aslan: The indictment notes that Aslan, during her testimony, emphasized her journalistic rights under Article 12 of the Press Law, which protects journalists from disclosing their sources. She admitted verifying the claims before publishing the report.
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Remzi Atalay: Accused of leaking the footage to the press, Atalay denied the allegations, stating he neither shared the footage with Jin News nor knew how it reached the media.
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Yusuf Erdener: Erdener admitted recording footage of the deputy directors to document misuse of vehicles for official reporting. He claimed the footage was intended for the Directorate’s head, Aydın Polat, but was never submitted. He also denied any connection to Jin News or Aslan.
Evidence in the indictment
The indictment cites phone records showing communication between Erdener, Atalay, and Aslan before and after the report’s publication. While Erdener and Atalay denied sharing the footage with Aslan, records indicate unusual contact patterns between the three around the time of the report.
The prosecution alleges that Erdener captured the footage, passed it to Atalay on a flash drive, and that Atalay subsequently shared it with Aslan, though the accused deny these claims. It further accuses Erdener of violating privacy repeatedly by filming the complainants on multiple occasions.
Legal proceedings
The Diyarbakır 16th Criminal Court of First Instance accepted the indictment, which accuses the defendants of "repeatedly violating the confidentiality of private life." The trial will begin on Jan. 29, with all three facing potential penalties under Turkish law.
