Eylem Sonbahar
A prosecutor in Turkey has called for the acquittal of journalist Lütfiye Burcu Kara, who is on trial for alleged membership in a banned armed organization. The request came during the second hearing of her case at the İzmir 2nd High Criminal Court on April 15.
Kara, a reporter for the socialist-leaning Mücadele Birliği (translated as "Struggle Union") newspaper, faces charges of “membership in an armed terrorist organization” over alleged ties to the banned Türkiye Komünist Emek Partisi / Leninist (TKEP/L), or Communist Labor Party of Turkey / Leninist. She attended the hearing along with her lawyers Bahattin Özdemir, Şule Arslan Hızal and Mehmet Ali Karakavuk. A witness, Buse Aslan, gave testimony via the judicial video conferencing system SEGBİS.
Witness claims newspaper served as propaganda tool
In her statement, witness Buse Aslan claimed that Kara held a senior role within the TKEP/L and said she met her in the summer of 2022 at the Mücadele Birliği office. “The defendant operates within the TKEP/L organization. Her role in the organization is press officer. She also tried to convince me to join the group. She told me the newspaper was a tool of organizational propaganda,” Aslan said.
She further alleged that Kara shared video footage via the encrypted messaging app Signal with members of the organization, claiming this was detected by police surveillance.
Prosecutor finds evidence insufficient
In presenting the final opinion on the case, the prosecution argued that the accusations against Kara lacked concrete and sufficient evidence. The prosecutor noted that Kara had worked as an intern at Yeni Dönem Publishing and occasionally contributed news reports to Mücadele Birliği.
The prosecution stated that although Kara had attended various demonstrations, she did so in her capacity as a journalist. Phone surveillance and physical monitoring reportedly did not reveal any actions constituting a criminal offense. The prosecutor also highlighted that neither the anonymous witness statements nor Aslan’s testimony were corroborated by physical evidence. Citing Article 223/2-e of the Turkish Criminal Procedure Code, the prosecution requested Kara’s acquittal on the grounds of insufficient evidence.
Kara and her legal team requested additional time to prepare their defense statements. The court accepted the request and scheduled the next hearing for May 22, 2025, at 10 a.m.
Background
Lütfiye Burcu Kara was arrested on September 28, 2024, during a police raid on the offices of Mücadele Birliği, on suspicion of ties to the banned TKEP/L. She was released on February 20, 2025, pending trial. The indictment against her is based primarily on testimony from a secret witness and several other individuals, which authorities claim link her to the organization.
