This week, trials on press and freedom of expression cases continued in various provinces of Turkey, as pressures on journalists persisted. The MLSA Case Monitoring Unit observed 20 cases across three provinces.
September 9, Monday
Turkey's Constitutional Court ruled that a compensation case filed against opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu over his use of the word "incompetent" to describe former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu violated Kılıçdaroğlu’s freedom of expression. The court found that Kılıçdaroğlu's 2012 statement did not justify the 4,000 Turkish lira in moral damages he had been ordered to pay.
September 10, Tuesday
Organizations advocating for press freedom condemned death threats against journalist Murat Ağırel. Twenty-three organizations, including the International Press Institute and MLSA, issued a joint statement condemning the threats. The statement emphasized that the ongoing intimidation of Ağırel represents a serious assault on press freedom and the safety of journalists in Turkey.
In a separate case, the prosecutor demanded a sentence for journalist Can Ataklı, accusing him of a "provocative attitude" following his criticism of a statement by the father of a deceased soldier. The court, which accepted a request from Memur-Sen union leader Ali Yalçın to join the case, postponed the hearing to October 10.
A trial against lawyer Serhat Hezer, who is being prosecuted for his legal work, was also postponed, pending the prosecutor's final opinion. The court rejected a request to include testimony from a confessed witness, Ümit Akbıyık, citing it would not contribute any new information to the case.
September 12, Thursday
Another trial, involving lawyer Gurbet Özbey Öner, was also postponed for the prosecutor to prepare a final opinion. Öner, who was charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” based on her legal activities, was arrested following testimony by Ümit Akbıyık, a former informant who sought leniency in exchange for cooperation. The second hearing took place at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court, and the case was adjourned until October 3.
In another case, journalist Furkan Karabay, accused of "insulting state judicial bodies" over allegations of bribery at Çağlayan Courthouse, defended himself by stating that a prosecutor at the courthouse had reported the bribery claims to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK). Karabay argued that while those implicated in the bribery allegations were not prosecuted, he was being tried for reporting the issue.
September 13, Friday
The Court of Cassation overturned the conviction of journalist Aziz Oruç, who had been sentenced to two years and one month in prison for social media posts deemed propaganda for a terrorist organization. The court ruled that Oruç should have been acquitted and sent the case back to the Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court.
In a separate case, journalist Kayhan Ayhan reacted to a civil lawsuit filed against him four years after publishing a news story while working at Cumhuriyet newspaper. Ayhan criticized the delayed lawsuit, saying that those afraid of the truth attempt to silence journalists through investigations, trials, and arrests.
