RABİA ÇETİN
Journalists Tunca Öğreten and Murat Baykara, creators of the documentary Met Çıkmazı (Meth Impasse), which examines the rising methamphetamine crisis in Turkey, faced their first hearing on charges of "promoting drug use" and "failing to report a crime" at the Bakırköy 13th Criminal Court of First Instance. The film highlights the dangers of methamphetamine use, particularly its impact on children and young adults, aiming to raise awareness among families. The trial drew support from press freedom advocates, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey Representative Erol Önderoğlu and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Representative Özgür Öğret.
"We fulfilled a social responsibility"
In his defense, Baykara described the documentary as a public awareness effort, not an endorsement of drug use. "This is a documentary intended to alert families to a growing societal threat, especially one that endangers children and young people. We even showed ourselves discarding substances on camera and blurred any imagery of drugs. The purpose was to demonstrate the hardships faced by those struggling with addiction and fulfill a social responsibility. I ask for my acquittal," he said.
Öğreten, emphasizing the documentary's anti-drug message, added, "The documentary’s title, Met Çıkmazı, conveys a sense of hopelessness. Our documentary shows how people ensnared in drug use fall into a dead-end. We interviewed addicts, shared how their lives became hell, and depicted the suffering of their families. Anyone watching would see the devastating consequences of methamphetamine use, not any benefit."
"Both witnesses and defendants"
Öğreten noted that the documentary had won two significant awards, one international, and that the team’s work actually served as a form of crime reporting. He highlighted the irony that they were both witnesses and defendants in a separate investigation related to the documentary.
The journalists' lawyer, Tuba Torun, argued that the documentary was intended to prevent crime rather than promote drug use. "The indictment charges them with 'promoting drug use' and 'failing to report a crime.' Yet my clients produced a documentary that analyzes this crisis, calling on families, educators, and government institutions to take action. Journalists inform society, and my clients acted to raise awareness of a severe issue. They effectively reported a crime through their work," Torun stated, requesting their acquittal.
After hearing the defenses, the court ordered the appearance of the individual who filed the complaint via the Presidential Communication Center (CİMER) and adjourned the trial to March 25, 2025.
