Eylem Sonbahar
Kazım Güleçyüz, editor-in-chief of the Turkish newspaper Yeni Asya, has been sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison on charges of "terrorist propaganda" over a social media post following the death of Fethullah Gülen. Another defendant received the same sentence, while two others were acquitted.
The second hearing of the trial, held at Istanbul’s 28th High Criminal Court, focused on social media posts made after the death of Gülen, the U.S.-based cleric accused by Turkish authorities of orchestrating the 2016 coup attempt. Güleçyüz and three co-defendants were charged with promoting the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), as the Turkish government designates Gülen's movement.
Prosecutor demanded prison sentences for all defendants
The prosecutor reiterated the indictment, arguing that the posts made by Güleçyüz and the other defendants legitimized, praised, or encouraged the violent methods of the group. The prosecution sought convictions for all four individuals.
Defense argued for freedom of expression
Defense attorneys countered that the posts did not constitute propaganda and should be protected under free speech laws. Hasan Sever, the lawyer for defendant Emrullah Altuğ, stated that his client’s Facebook post did not praise any organization and that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) protects freedom of expression. He argued that under Turkish law, propaganda offenses require explicit glorification of a group's actions, which was not the case.
Güleçyüz's lawyer, Mustafa Özbek, requested his acquittal but asked for the application of lenient legal provisions if the court ruled otherwise. Another defendant, Ömer Demir, claimed that his phone had been stolen and that he had not used the social media account in question for over a year.
Verdict: Two sentenced, two acquitted
The court sentenced Güleçyüz and Ömer Demir each to 1 year and 3 months in prison, citing "the manner of the crime, the tools used, the time and place it was committed, the resulting danger, and the defendant’s intent and motives." However, the court suspended the announcement of the verdict, meaning the sentence will not be enforced unless another offense is committed within a specified period.
The other two defendants, Emrullah Altuğ and Rasih Yılmaz, were acquitted. The court also ruled that hard drives containing evidence would remain in the case file and ordered the return of other seized digital materials.
Background
Kazım Güleçyüz was arrested on October 23 after posting a message on X (formerly Twitter) following Gülen’s death. In his post, he stated:
"Fethullah Gülen has passed from the world of trials to the realm of the afterlife. The accusations against him will now be judged in the hereafter. While repeating our wish for an end to the injustices that have victimized so many people on the basis of these allegations, we pray for God's mercy and justice. Condolences to the community."
Following this post, Güleçyüz was taken into custody and later brought before the Istanbul Criminal Judgeship of Peace, which ordered his pretrial detention. He was released at his first hearing on December 19.
