Eylem Sonbahar
30 May 2024 - The prosecutor in the case against journalist Melisa Gülbaş, who reported on a laboratory at Boğaziçi University being moved in trash bags under the university’s trustee administration, has requested a penalty, claiming the report contained defamatory intent.
The trial of journalist Melisa Gülbaş, charged with "insulting a public official" over her December 18 news story on the Gerçek Gündem website titled "An attack on science by Boğaziçi administration: They didn't even give us a place to put our lab equipment," took place at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
The case was initiated following a complaint by Dr. Mehmet Turan, a faculty member of the Computer Engineering Department at Boğaziçi University. At the first hearing, Gülbaş was present with her lawyer Dicle Demir. The trial was observed by Erol Önderoğlu, the Turkey representative for Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and representatives from the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA).
In her defense statement, Gülbaş said, "I decided to write the news after seeing a tweet thread by Prof. Dr. Tuna Tuğcu. I contacted him, and he responded to my questions in writing. As seen in the article, the news is based on what he said. I reported the allegations about Mehmet Turan as claims, without the intention of targeting anyone."
Gülbaş emphasized that she was reporting on developments at Boğaziçi University within the scope of freedom of expression. "I tried to reach Naci İnci and others but received no response. Therefore, I presented Prof. Dr. Tuğcu's claims about Mehmet Turan as allegations," she said.
Her lawyer, Dicle Demir, noted that the article comprised two parts: one detailing the transport of lab equipment in trash bags and the other mentioning the replacement of project manager Cem Ersoy with Mehmet Turan. Demir highlighted that the allegations of sexual harassment against Turan, involving two students and a secretary during his doctoral studies abroad, were also mentioned in a reference letter. "The news has a factual basis and clearly falls within the scope of freedom of expression," Demir argued.
Mehmet Turan’s lawyer, İhsan Serttürk, claimed that the allegations in the report were unsubstantiated. "If we start reporting every claim as an allegation, we open the door to endless accusations. There is no supporting document in the case file for these claims. We demand the defendant be penalized," Serttürk said.
The prosecutor argued that the news report was entirely intended to defame and requested that Melisa Gülbaş be punished for "insulting a public official."
The court postponed the hearing to November 14, granting time for Gülbaş and her lawyer to respond to the prosecutor's main arguments. The request by Gülbaş's lawyer to hear Prof. Dr. Tuna Tuğcu as a witness was denied on the grounds that it would not contribute to the trial.
Case Background
Journalist Melisa Gülbaş reported that the TETAM research center at Boğaziçi University was moved to a 45-square-meter area by the trustee administration, with lab equipment transported in trash bags. The report also mentioned harassment allegations related to Mehmet Turan’s appointment to the project. The news story initially faced an access ban and later led to a lawsuit for "insulting a public official" following Dr. Mehmet Turan’s complaint.
