Journalist Pinar Gayip, an editor at ETHA, is facing charges of "publicly insulting the state" following her news report on a sexual harassment incident. The verdict in this case is expected on March 28.
Gayip, two years ago, reported on a young woman's experience of harassment by lawyer Sezgin Keleş, who was later convicted for "simple sexual assault". Following this report, Keleş allegedly threatened Gayip with violence, accusing her of being a "terrorist sympathizer" and fabricating news for financial gains for a terrorist organization.
Keleş's response to Gayip's report led to multiple investigations and a lawsuit against her. In court, Keleş used Gayip's interview as evidence, claiming she was financially supporting a terrorist organization with her earnings from the report.
Gayip recounted to MLSA that after publishing the initial interview, she received a threatening message on Twitter. Keleş, posing as his own lawyer, openly targeted and threatened her on the platform. He accused her of child abuse for using a photo from his website, which unknowingly included his son's image in the corner, and filed complaints against her for allegedly financing a terrorist organization. None of these accusations led to a conviction.
Gayip also faced a complaint to the Financial Crimes Investigation Board, with Keleş claiming that she was funneling funds to a terrorist organization through her reports. This complaint was also forwarded to the Anti-Terrorism Branch but yielded no result.
In court, Gayip has consistently defended her reporting, emphasizing that she followed the principle of taking victim statements as the basis in cases of crimes against women and children. She expressed that the attacks on her were not just personal but an assault on the principle of victim statements and the public's right to information.
Previously, Gayip has been threatened for her reports on workplace harassment of female workers, kidnapping and rape by a perpetrator and his family, and violence and sexual assault by a married man. Despite numerous threats and attacks over the past nine years, Gayip has remained committed to her work, undeterred by the pressures she faces.
The situation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by journalists in Turkey, especially women, who are often subjected to threats, legal action, and harassment for their reporting. This case raises concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists in the country.
