Press freedom cases continue across Turkey as journalists face mounting pressure
This week saw the continuation of several high-profile trials concerning press and freedom of expression in various cities across Turkey. MLSA’s Case Monitoring Unit tracked 18 cases in six different provinces, with 18 journalists standing trial in proceedings marked by increasing pressures on the press.
September 16, Monday
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) questioned Turkey over the Can Atalay case. Atalay, a jailed parliamentarian, remains in detention despite a release order by Turkey’s Constitutional Court (AYM). His legal team brought the case to the ECHR, which asked Turkey why the AYM ruling had not been enforced.
September 17, Tuesday
The Constitutional Court ruled that the banning of a Hrant Dink Foundation conference was a violation of rights. The court found that the governor's office’s 2019 decision to block a conference titled "Kayseri and Its Surroundings: Social, Cultural, and Economic History" violated the foundation's rights.
The first hearing of a trial concerning protestors who criticized the Supreme Election Council (YSK) was held. Ten individuals who held a "Democracy Watch" protest outside the YSK offices in May 2023, accusing the council of discrepancies between signed vote counts and official data, appeared in court.
September 18, Wednesday
Author Yavuz Ekinci was tried for a novel written 10 years ago. Ekinci stood trial over his 2014 novel Rüyası Bölünenler, accused of “terrorist propaganda” for passages in the book. Ekinci stated that the work is a fictional narrative about the region and that he was being prosecuted for a piece of fiction.
Sinan Aygül, head of the Bitlis Journalists’ Association, faced trial for allegedly insulting guards. Aygül was accused of threatening two bodyguards of former Tatvan mayor Mehmet Emin Geylani and faced trial in Tatvan’s 1st Criminal Court of First Instance.
Journalist Hayri Demir’s trial resumed with a new twist. Demir, who was on trial for his journalistic activities in Syria, protested his prosecution based on evidence he argued was unlawfully obtained. He also noted that he was mistakenly accused of writing a book actually authored by Paul White, an Indonesian writer.
September 19, Thursday
A witness testified in the trial of photojournalist Bülent Kılıç. Hacı Bişkin, a journalist who witnessed Kılıç’s violent arrest during the Pride March, stated that Kılıç was pinned to the ground by police and that he did not hit officers with his camera, as alleged by law enforcement.
A court heard the case of journalists beaten during a protest. Journalists Sibel Yükler, Deniz Nazlım, and Yıldız Tar, who were detained during a protest in Ankara, faced trial, but the forensic report did not document the police violence they experienced.
A prosecutor called for the conviction of KHK TV reporter Ahmet Erkan Yiğitsözlü. The reporter, who was dismissed from Anadolu Agency by a decree law, is being tried for alleged membership in an armed terrorist organization. His second hearing took place in Osmaniye’s 2nd High Criminal Court.
An arrest warrant was issued for Ertuğrul Kürkçü. The court issued the warrant after the former HDP MP failed to provide testimony from abroad in a case related to a visit to Silvan during curfews in 2015.
Documentary filmmaker Sibel Tekin’s trial was postponed. Tekin, accused of participating in a protest nine years ago, is being tried for what she argues is a case of mistaken identity. The trial was delayed for witness testimony.
Journalist Neşe İdil was fined for insulting former Minister Derya Yanık. İdil was sentenced to a monetary fine for calling Yanık a “clown” in a social media post. The decision was made by the Istanbul Anatolian 8th Criminal Court of First Instance.
Journalist Medine Mamedoğlu faced an investigation over her fire reports. Mamedoğlu was summoned for her reporting and social media posts covering wildfires between Diyarbakır and Mardin, which she linked to negligence by authorities.
