Eylem Sonbahar
In a retrial prompted by a reversal from Turkey's Court of Cassation, the Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court sentenced journalist Yakup Çetin to 6 years and 3 months in prison for "membership in a terrorist organization." Meanwhile, five other journalists—Ahmet Memiş, Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Ünal Tanık, and Yetkin Yıldız—were each sentenced to 1 year and 13 months for "aiding a terrorist organization knowingly and willingly." Journalist Ali Akkuş was acquitted of charges of "membership in a terrorist organization."
Journalists defend their work and reject charges
The 14th hearing of the retrial saw the presence of the accused journalists and their lawyers. Journalist Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, who has been critical of various political groups through his publication Türk Solu (Turkish Left), defended himself by highlighting his past opposition to the Gülen movement, also known as FETÖ in Turkey.
"I've been publishing Türk Solu since 2002, well before many people here began their careers. In 2005, we published a cover asking, 'Is Fethullah a Muslim?' and were penalized for it in these very courthouses. Our stance has not changed in over a decade, yet I am now being accused of aiding this group. The Zaman newspaper archives contain dozens of articles against me. I only met the other defendants in this case here, during this trial," he said.
His lawyer, Ali Emre Özsoy, argued for acquittal, stating, "This case has zero evidence. The testimony of Hüseyin Gülerce, a figure who benefited from the state's repentance law and who has publicly criticized my client multiple times, is the sole basis of these accusations. This case should have been resolved with acquittal after the Court of Cassation's reversal."
Acquitted journalist refutes any connection to the group
Journalist Ali Akkuş, who spent three years in pretrial detention and was unable to attend his father’s funeral during that time, emphasized his lack of ties to the Gülen movement. "Expert reports and MASAK [Financial Crimes Investigation Board] reports have proven I have no connection to this organization. The only association I have is with the Journalists' Association. Zaman newspaper, where I worked, employed people with diverse opinions. This proves that working at Zaman cannot be considered a crime. There is no article or news report in my file that supports the Gülen group," Akkuş stated.
He added that his entire personal life, including his children's education, was investigated thoroughly and that no links were found. "I did not aid this organization. I demand acquittal to clear my name of these baseless accusations," Akkuş concluded.
Other journalists criticize prosecution’s evidence
Journalist Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu noted that social media posts in his case file were being misrepresented. "I shared articles by Fehmi Koru and Elif Çakır because I considered them newsworthy. They were not investigated for their writings, but my sharing of their work is being used as evidence against me. This is a violation of my right to freedom of expression. I have committed no crime and request acquittal," Kalyoncu said.
Ahmet Memiş, another defendant, said he had been on trial for eight years without understanding the specific accusations against him. "Witnesses who gave statements in my favor have been misrepresented in the prosecutor's final opinion as if they testified against me. I ask for acquittal, as the Court of Cassation already overturned the previous ruling against me," Memiş said.
Journalist Yetkin Yıldız, who also requested acquittal, was supported by his lawyer, Figen Albuga Çalıkuşu, who stressed the importance of empathy in delivering justice.
Verdict and sentences
After hearing the final statements, the court recessed to deliberate before announcing its decision. The court acquitted Ali Akkuş, citing the absence of criminal intent in the charge of "membership in a terrorist organization."
However, the court sentenced Yakup Çetin to 6 years and 3 months in prison for "membership in a terrorist organization," concluding that his involvement was proven. The other defendants—Ahmet Memiş, Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Ünal Tanık, and Yetkin Yıldız—were each sentenced to 1 year and 13 months in prison for "aiding a terrorist organization knowingly and willingly."
Background on the case
The defendants were initially convicted in earlier trials on allegations of links to the Gülen movement, which the Turkish government designates as a terrorist organization and accuses of orchestrating the failed coup attempt in July 2016. The Court of Cassation later reversed some of the verdicts, leading to the retrial.
The case has drawn attention from press freedom advocates, who view it as part of a broader crackdown on journalism in Turkey, where dozens of journalists have been imprisoned or faced legal harassment in recent years.
