Eylem Sonbahar
The trial of journalist Melisa Gülbaş, who is accused of “insulting a public official” over a news report detailing the controversial relocation of a Boğaziçi University research center, has been postponed to October 9. The Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance ruled to review an administrative court case file involving the complainant, Dr. Mehmet Turan, before proceeding.
Gülbaş is on trial for a December 18, 2023 article published on the independent news site Gerçek Gündem titled “Boğaziçi administration attacks science: They didn’t even give us space for lab equipment.” The story reported that the university’s Telecommunication and Informatics Technologies Application and Research Center (TETAM) had been moved by the university’s trustee-appointed administration to a 45-square-meter space, with equipment allegedly transported in garbage bags. The report also noted that academic Cem Ersoy had been removed from the project and replaced by Dr. Mehmet Turan from the Computer Engineering Department, and included unconfirmed allegations of harassment involving Turan.
At the April 2025 hearing, Gülbaş was absent, but her attorney Sevgi Kalan Güvercin was present. The court held its third session in the case, which was initiated upon a complaint filed by Dr. Turan.
The prosecutor repeated the opinion first presented at the initial hearing on May 30, 2024, arguing that the article, when evaluated as a whole, was written with the intent to insult and therefore warranted punishment under “insulting a public official.” Turan’s attorney supported this position, claiming that the article exceeded the limits of freedom of the press and expression.
In response, Gülbaş’s attorney argued that the news report was grounded in factual information and requested that the court obtain records from an administrative court case involving Turan. The court accepted the request and ordered the file from Istanbul 3rd Administrative Court to be reviewed through Turkey’s National Judiciary Informatics System (UYAP), adjourning the trial until October 9 at 2 p.m.
Background
The case reflects ongoing tensions at Boğaziçi University, one of Turkey’s top public universities, where academics and students have protested the government’s appointment of rectors and administrative figures since early 2021. The article in question was among several critical reports of how the university’s infrastructure and research operations have been managed under trustee-appointed leadership.
The report by Gülbaş was initially subject to an access ban and later became the basis of the legal complaint. Rights groups have raised concerns that such lawsuits targeting journalists over critical reporting are part of a broader crackdown on press freedom in Turkey.
