This week, two journalists in Turkey were acquitted: journalist Ali Duran Topuz in Diyarbakır and documentary filmmaker Sibel Tekin in Ankara. Meanwhile, new cases and detentions highlight continuing pressures on the press.
Journalist Delal Akyüz, under house arrest since February, faces charges of "conducting journalism under the guise of news reporting." In the past 24 days, six journalists were detained in the southeastern cities of Diyarbakır, Batman, and Şırnak. Another journalist was detained in Istanbul.
Key events and court proceedings
November 5 (Tuesday):
- Actor İlyas Salman faced a charge of "insulting the president" based on his remarks in an interview criticizing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The prosecutor sought a conviction.
November 7 (Thursday):
- Documentary filmmaker Sibel Tekin was acquitted. Tekin was tried for allegedly spreading "terrorist propaganda" and "violating freedom of work" after covering a protest at NTV Ankara's office nine years ago. The Ankara 2nd High Criminal Court issued the verdict during the trial’s fourth hearing.
- Prosecutors recommended the acquittal of journalist Furkan Karabay, who faced charges following a complaint from President Erdoğan's former lawyer Mustafa Doğan İnal. The prosecutor found no concrete evidence that Karabay's social media posts were defamatory.
- Journalist Ali Duran Topuz, editor-in-chief of the online news outlet Artı Gerçek, was acquitted in Diyarbakır. He had been accused of "targeting anti-terror officials" for publishing a report about a prosecutor and a judge involved in the detention of 18 journalists.
November 8 (Friday):
- Delal Akyüz, under house arrest, was formally charged after nine months. The indictment cited her articles, her agency's editorial policies, phone calls with sources, and archived reports as evidence of "membership in a terrorist organization."
- In the past 24 days, 10 journalists covering events in Diyarbakır, Batman, and Şırnak faced harassment and violence from law enforcement. Six were detained. Jinnews reporter Pelşin Çetinkaya, assaulted while covering protests in Batman, stated, "We are constantly targeted for exposing torture and rights violations."
- Journalist Furkan Karabay was detained after police raided his home, confiscating his computer. He is accused of targeting anti-terror officials, insulting a public official, and spreading misleading information.
Background context
Press freedom in Turkey has significantly declined in recent years, with journalists frequently facing legal challenges, detentions, and harassment. International organizations, including the Council of Europe, have repeatedly criticized the Turkish government for suppressing dissent and limiting freedom of expression, particularly since the failed coup attempt in 2016.
