The prosecutor has called for journalist Furkan Karabay’s acquittal in a defamation case stemming from social media posts that allegedly insulted Mustafa Doğan İnal, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s former lawyer. During the second hearing at Istanbul’s 5th Criminal Court of First Instance, the prosecutor stated there was no concrete evidence in Karabay’s posts to support accusations of insult or defamation, recommending that Karabay be cleared of all charges.
The case was filed after İnal lodged a complaint against Karabay over three social media posts in which Karabay criticized the speed and nature of judicial decisions surrounding İnal. Karabay, who was not present at the hearing, was represented by his attorney Özge Naz Akkaya, while İnal’s lawyer Furkan Keskin attended and maintained that they sought Karabay’s punishment.
In his closing opinion, the prosecutor argued that “not all harsh criticism or discomforting words amount to defamation” and emphasized that Karabay’s posts lacked elements that would harm İnal’s dignity or reputation in a way that could substantiate a legal claim of defamation.
Akkaya supported the prosecutor’s request for acquittal, noting that defamation charges require specific intent, which her client did not possess. She argued that Karabay’s posts were journalistic in nature, aligned with visible reality, and served the public interest. Akkaya also noted that İnal’s name was clearly referenced in the original report, which questioned judicial actions related to İnal’s activities and raised issues of public concern.
On the other side, İnal’s lawyer requested additional time to prepare a response to the prosecutor’s opinion, arguing that they did not agree with the call for acquittal. The court granted this request, adjourning the case until Nov. 19.
Background of the case
Karabay’s posts referenced a news story published by the news site Gerçek Gündem titled “Why did Erdoğan's lawyer receive threats? Indictment issued in armed attack involving allegations of FETÖ bribery.” The report detailed an armed attack on a convoy allegedly involving İnal, which led to a judicial investigation. The same report had been subject to an access ban after İnal applied for and obtained a court order within hours of the article’s publication on April 19, a fact Karabay noted in his social media post.
The prosecution’s indictment pointed to this and a second post about alleged bribery in judicial processes as grounds for the charges. Additionally, a third post, which included an image of court documents partially showing İnal's initials, was cited as further evidence of alleged defamation.
