In the first week of June, journalists, politicians, students, academics and rights defenders appeared before judges in cases falling under freedom of expression. While courts handed down acquittals and release rulings in some files, many proceedings were adjourned. Insufficient courtroom space, technical failures, the presence of law enforcement and disputes over the right to a defense once again kept concerns about fair-trial violations on the agenda. Outside the courtrooms, access blocks, investigations into journalists and arrests kept debates over freedom of expression and the press going.
MLSA — The freedom-of-expression cases heard in the week of June 1 affected a broad cross-section of society, from journalists to politicians and from activists to academics. In the hearings monitored during the week, at least eight journalists, nine politicians, one academic, two students, one lawyer and numerous rights defenders and citizens were on trial. The week's most notable development was the acquittal of journalist Ercüment Akdeniz in a case in which he had spent roughly eight months in pretrial detention.
The fourth hearing in the case of journalist Ercüment Akdeniz — detained on Feb. 22, 2025, as part of an operation against the HDK (the Peoples' Democratic Congress, an umbrella grouping of leftist and pro-Kurdish organizations) and tried on a charge of "membership in an organization" — was held at the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court. In his opinion on the merits, the prosecutor reiterated his request for a conviction, but the court ruled to acquit Akdeniz. The overseas travel ban imposed on Akdeniz was also lifted. The journalist was acquitted in a case in which he had spent 243 days in prison.
The third hearing in the case of 20 people — among them journalist Fatoş Erdoğan — tried over social media posts about claims that a trustee would be appointed to the Istanbul provincial chair of the CHP (the Republican People's Party, Turkey's main opposition) was held at the Istanbul 9th Criminal Court of First Instance. A "trustee" (kayyım) is a state-appointed administrator who replaces elected officeholders. The prosecution "corrected," through a supplementary indictment, a contradiction in the earlier indictment, which had combined charges of "publicly inciting the commission of a crime" and "inciting the public to hatred and enmity." The defendants gave their defense statements again. The court lifted all judicial control measures and adjourned the hearing to Oct. 21 to hear defendants whose statements had not yet been taken. The case was merged with the supplementary indictment prepared between sessions, and the defendants gave their defense statements again.
The first hearing in the "defamation" case that Mustafa Doğan İnal brought against journalist Ayça Onuralmış over a news report published on the outlet Kısa Dalga was held at the Istanbul Anadolu 29th Criminal Court of First Instance. The court acquitted the journalist at the first session.
The third hearing in the case in which former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş is tried on a charge of "inciting the public to hatred and enmity" was held at the Diyarbakır 18th Criminal Court of First Instance. The HDP is the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party, and Demirtaş, a leading opposition figure, has been imprisoned since 2016; Diyarbakır is the largest city in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast. No decision was issued in the file, and the case was adjourned to Nov. 4, 2026.
The 17th hearing in the case in which HDP members are tried in Silvan, with seven politicians as defendants, was held at the Silvan 1st Criminal Court of First Instance. Silvan is a district of Diyarbakır province. Proceedings in the file were left to Sept. 29, 2026.
The first hearing in the case of 53 people detained at the Istanbul Pride March — among them bianet editor Evrim Gündüz and journalists Nur Kaya and Yusuf Çelik — was held at the Istanbul 51st Criminal Court of First Instance. The court adjourned the hearing to Dec. 4, 2026, to hear two defendants whose statements had not been taken and to gather information on the ban decision. During the hearing, lawyers requested the removal of the riot police present in the courtroom, but the court did not issue an interim decision to that effect. The case was adjourned to Dec. 4.
Journalist Cihan Berk, tried in pretrial detention on a charge of "membership in an organization," was sentenced to six years and three months in prison, while the court ruled to release him with an overseas travel ban.
Fair-trial violations
Various problems notable for the right to a fair trial were observed in the hearings. In more than one case, hearings began late because of delays by the panel of judges or technical failures.
In the Ercüment Akdeniz case, problems with the SEGBİS connection delayed the start of proceedings, while in the CHP trustee social media case and the Istanbul Pride March case, insufficient courtroom space forced a move to larger rooms. SEGBİS is Turkey's Audio and Visual Information System, used to record proceedings and connect detainees remotely.
In the CHP trustee case, the judge's intervention during one defendant's defense statement was regarded by lawyers as interference with the right to a defense.
In the Istanbul Pride March case, lawyers requested the removal of the riot police present in the courtroom, saying they could place pressure on the right to a defense and a fair trial, but the court issued no interim decision on the request.
It was also notable that, in many hearings, plainclothes police officers were present in the courtroom as observers.
Other developments
Important developments concerning freedom of expression and the press also took place outside the courtrooms during the week.
The file concerning the arrest of journalist Vedat Örüç on a charge of "membership in an organization" was taken to the European Court of Human Rights by the MLSA Legal Unit. The application emphasized that making journalistic activities the grounds for arrest was a rights violation.
MLSA lawyers filed an appeal against the conviction handed down to Koray Kesik, the cinematographer of the documentary "Bakur." The application stated that Kesik had taken on only a technical role and that no intent to spread propaganda had been demonstrated.
Journalism and press freedom organizations called for the release of imprisoned BirGün reporter İsmail Arı. The joint statement said detentions, arrests and prosecutions targeting journalists were aimed at press freedom.
The Aydın 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance ruled to release Yelis Ayaz, editor-in-chief of Aydınpost, who had been in pretrial detention since May 15 over a news report. Aydın is a province in western Turkey. Ayaz is being tried on charges of "publicly spreading misleading information" and "insult."
In the area of digital rights, the "Visa Empire" article series prepared by Kısa Dalga reporter Canan Coşkun, along with news reports and posts about this access block, were blocked on the grounds of "protecting national security and public order."
It was also announced that an access block had been placed on the X account of the Cumhuriyet newspaper.
During the week, it was also announced that the BTK — Turkey's Information and Communication Technologies Authority — had imposed an access block on a domain that allows Hostinger users to publish their websites, as well as on the Bitcoin Talk platform, on the grounds of "illegal betting."
Meanwhile, it was announced that CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu would file a criminal complaint against journalist Timur Soykan. This development, too, showed that debates over press and freedom of expression remain on the agenda.
