Hayri Demir
During a court hearing in Ankara, witnesses recounted the violent detention of three journalists, defended by MLSA, who were planning to participate in a press statement to protest the arrest of their colleagues. The incident occurred in Ankara, and the journalists Sibel Yükler, Deniz Nazlım, and Yıldız Tar are now facing charges of resisting police during a demonstration, based on allegations that they induced police to use force against them. This trial is being held at the Ankara 71st Criminal Court of First Instance.
The detained journalists were part of a group gathered to issue a press statement in response to the June 2022 arrests of journalists in Diyarbakır, intending to show solidarity and protest against the pressure on the press. Lawyers Muhammet Ünsal and Gulan Çağın Kaleli Koçer are representing the journalists, with the legal aid from MLSA. Witnesses included journalists Hüseyin Aykol, Eren Güven, and Turgut Dedeoğlu, head of DİSK Press Union, who were present during the detention.
Dedeoğlu testified that their intention was to hold a press statement at Ulus Square, a location approved by the Ankara Governorship. Despite this, they were confronted by heavy police presence and were told by a police chief that they would not be allowed to proceed with the statement, citing a previous similar event. The police then began to disperse and detain people, including the journalists, before any gathering could formally take place. Dedeoğlu witnessed the journalists being physically assaulted by police officers who were clearing the area, using force indiscriminately against both men and women.
Journalist Hüseyin Aykol added that he had not even reached the planned location of the press statement before seeing other journalists being mistreated and detained by police. He noted there were no prior warnings or instructions given to disperse.
Eren Güven also witnessed the detentions, hearing the screams of his colleagues as they were subjected to harsh treatment by the police. He pointed out that the police did not announce any dispersal orders and that his own camera was damaged during the incident. Güven specifically saw Deniz Nazlım being roughly handled and detained.
In response to the prosecutor's questioning, Dedeoğlu explained that it is common for their union to organize press statements without written notifications, relying instead on verbal communication with authorities. He argued that the intense police presence, particularly from the Anti-Terror Branch, contributed to the violence during the detentions.
The lawyers argued that the detentions and the subsequent charges were baseless, pointing out that the Governorship had confirmed there was no ban on the press statement. They emphasized that their clients had been unfairly targeted due to their complaints against police misconduct, which were only formally addressed four months after the incident.
The hearing has been postponed to September 19, awaiting video evidence from the day of the incident requested from the Ankara Police Directorate.
