Elif Akgül
The trial of journalist İsmail Arı, who faces charges of “insult” and “slander” following a complaint by Levent Uysal, a lawmaker from Turkey’s far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), has been postponed to January 2026. Uysal is also the founder of the Nişantaşı Education Foundation.
The third hearing of the case was held on July 11 at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) monitored the proceedings. Arı was represented by his lawyer, Tolgay Güvercin, while complainant Uysal was represented by attorney Emre Sirac Pamuk.
Pamuk told the court that the complaint stands and argued that the defense had failed to submit documents between hearings, as previously promised. “We request that the defendant be punished,” Pamuk said.
In response, Arı’s lawyer Güvercin stated that under civil law procedures, there is no obligation to submit documents ahead of the hearing. He added that the documents in question were currently held by the 29th Notary Office in Beyoğlu and requested the court to obtain them from there.
Güvercin also drew attention to a claim in the indictment stating that VakıfBank had filed a criminal complaint. He asked the court to inquire with the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office to verify whether such a complaint was ever made.
Following the prosecutor's recommendation to address missing elements in the case file, the court ruled to request the relevant document from the notary, provided the file number is submitted. It also decided to contact the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office to confirm whether VakıfBank filed a criminal complaint as mentioned in the indictment.
The next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 13, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Background
The case stems from a series of news reports published by Arı in BirGün, a Turkish opposition daily, and his appearance on the program Yakın Takip broadcast on Artı TV. The indictment cites three articles: “MHP member seizes land worth a fortune” (Jan. 19, 2024), “They rewarded fraud” (Feb. 15, 2024), and “MHP deputy revealed to be Serbian citizen” (March 11, 2024). All three reports were critical of Uysal’s activities and affiliations.
Uysal’s complaints, which sparked the legal proceedings, center around the claim that Arı’s reporting damaged his reputation and included defamatory and false statements.
