EYLEM SONBAHAR
A Turkish prosecutor has requested that journalist Barış Terkoğlu be convicted of defamation over a series of opinion pieces concerning Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s controversial “fool” case, arguing the articles fall outside the bounds of press freedom.
Terkoğlu, a columnist for the opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet, is being tried on charges of "defamation" in connection with three opinion articles titled “They are preparing to eliminate İmamoğlu”, “The blackmail files of the new parallel state”, and “The İmamoğlu fight is heading somewhere else.” The case was filed following a complaint by İsmail Uçar, the former Chief Public Prosecutor of Istanbul’s Anadolu Courthouse.
The fifth hearing of the trial took place at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. Terkoğlu did not attend, but was represented by his lawyer, Enes Hikmet Ermaner.
In his final opinion submitted to the court, the prosecutor claimed the journalist’s writings were not protected under freedom of the press and called for Terkoğlu to be convicted of "defamation" in a continued, or "aggravated," manner due to the publication of multiple articles.
Defense attorney Ermaner requested additional time to respond to the prosecutor's opinion. The court accepted the request and adjourned the trial until Dec. 11 at 2:40 p.m.
The case stems from coverage of Mayor İmamoğlu’s 2019 conviction for allegedly insulting public officials by calling those who annulled his initial election victory “fools.” That case drew international criticism over concerns about political interference in the judiciary. Terkoğlu’s columns had explored the judicial and political dynamics behind the prosecution, raising questions about backroom maneuvering and institutional power struggles.
