Rabia Çetin
A secret witness testifying in the trial of Etkin News Agency (ETHA) reporter Züleyha Müldür and two co-defendants told a court in Istanbul that he did not remember Müldür, as proceedings continued on charges of “membership in an armed organization” and “making propaganda for an armed organization.”
The third hearing in the case was held at the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court, located in Turkey’s largest city. The session began 30 minutes late due to a connection issue with the judicial video system SEGBİS, which allows remote participation in hearings.
Müldür did not attend the hearing, but her lawyer was present in the courtroom. One of the defendants, Ezgi Gürbüz, did not attend because she was arrested on Feb. 6 in a separate investigation. Another defendant, Simay Ada Kart, who is under house arrest, was present.
After identity checks, the secret witness identified as G.T. testified via SEGBİS. G.T. claimed that ETHA is the name used by the newspaper Atılım on social media. The witness said he knew defendant Gürbüz from the distribution of Atılım newspaper but stated that he did not remember Müldür. When asked whether he had benefited from Turkey’s “effective remorse” provisions — a legal mechanism allowing reduced sentences in exchange for cooperation — G.T. did not answer.
During the hearing, defendant Kart was questioned about her phone traffic records (HTS). Among the names she was asked about was Burcu Özaydın, a lawyer present in the courtroom. Kart said she did not recognize most of the names mentioned.
Lawyer Berivan Bekçi, representing Gürbüz, said her client had been arrested on Feb. 6 as part of another investigation while already under house arrest in this case, which prevented her from attending the hearing. Bekçi argued that the secret witness had been guided in his testimony, contradicted himself and gave statements about the defendants under the threat of a new investigation.
Bekçi requested that the house arrest measure previously imposed on Gürbüz in this file be lifted, given her detention in a separate case.
Züleyha Müldür’s lawyer, Sidar Pelçin, did not present a defense statement at the hearing.
After hearing the defense statements, the presiding judge ruled to lift the house arrest measures imposed on Simay Ada Kart and Ezgi Gürbüz in this case. The court ordered that the travel ban imposed on Müldür remain in place.
The hearing was adjourned until 11:50 a.m. on May 14.
Background
Müldür, Gürbüz and Kart were detained in an operation targeting the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), the Socialist Youth Associations Federation (SGDF) and the Socialist Women’s Assemblies — leftist organizations active in Turkey. They were arrested on Jan. 24, 2025, on charges of “membership in an armed organization” and “making propaganda for an armed organization.”
At the first hearing on June 25, 2025, Müldür was released under a travel ban and a requirement to report to authorities weekly. Kart and Gürbüz were released under house arrest on Sept. 18, 2025.
On Feb. 3, 2026, authorities carried out another operation targeting ESP, SGDF, the Socialist Women’s Assemblies, the labor union DİSK/LİMTER-İŞ and the Polen Foundation for Ecology and Science Education, Aesthetics, Culture and Art Research. Müldür and Gürbüz were again detained in that operation. Gürbüz was arrested as part of the new investigation, while Müldür was released under judicial control measures.
