EYLEM SONBAHAR
The lawsuit filed by Maltepe University President Prof. Dr. Edibe Sözen against journalist Hayri Demir for moral damages has been dismissed. The case revolved around an article titled "AKP’s 'propaganda group' leader turns out to be a rector," and the court ruled in favor of Demir. The hearing, held behind closed doors, saw the courtroom doors locked to prevent press and spectators from attending.
The second hearing of the case took place at Istanbul's 8th Civil Court of First Instance. Demir was represented by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), while Sözen, who is also a former AKP MP, had filed the lawsuit seeking 20,000 TL in compensation from both Demir and the newspaper Gazete Pencere, which published the article.
Demir's attorney, Muhammed Ünsal from MLSA's Legal Unit, and Melike Türkay, the lawyer representing Gazete Pencere, were present in the courtroom. Sözen’s lawyer, Yusuf Demir, participated via an e-trial system.
Sözen's lawyer argued for the acceptance of the case, claiming that the article falsely portrayed Sözen as orchestrating political propaganda for the AKP. He stated, "The news falsely presented my client as organizing a propaganda campaign for a political party. The allegations were not proven, and my client suffered moral damage due to this news. The compensation from this lawsuit will be donated to the Mehmetçik Foundation."
Gazete Pencere's lawyer, Melike Türkay, defended the article, stating, "The article pertains to a WhatsApp group where brochures and posters used in AKP's election campaign were shared. Gazete Pencere was not the first to report on the plaintiff's connection to this political party. The news reflects apparent reality and falls within the scope of freedom of expression. A retraction is still published."
MLSA's lawyer, Muhammed Ünsal, also argued that the article aligned with the apparent reality and was protected under freedom of expression, requesting the dismissal of the lawsuit.
Following the arguments, the court ruled to dismiss the case against journalist Hayri Demir and Gazete Pencere.
