Berkant Gültekin. Birgün editor-in-Chief
31-Jan-2019
3 June 2017: BirGün journalists released from prison BirGün newspaper’s copyrights owner İbrahim Aydın and former Responsible Managing Editor Berkant Gültekin were released from prison after spending six days, serving part of a 21-month conviction regarding a news story published in the newspaper. The two were released on 3 June under a law, which allows convicts who have received a prison term of less than 24-months to be released under judicial probation. The number of journalists in prison has gone down to 167 following the release of the two Birgünjournalists. The full list can be viewed here. 31 May 2017: Newspaper publisher, editor jailed for insulting president İbrahim Aydın and Berkant Gültekin, the publisher and former responsible news editor of the socialist daily newspaper Birgün were jailed on charges of "insulting the president," the newspaper reported on May 28. The charges related to their reporting on a 2015 protest, for which they were each sentenced to 21 months in prison. The two were jailed in Kırklareli Prison, the newspaper reported, but expect to be released soon because of recent changes to the law governing prison sentences. Gültekin, writing on Twitter, on May 28 said, "It is not a big deal. I mean, it is a big deal, but not in the condition that Turkey is in. We are sentenced for insulting the president due to a headline from two years ago. We will serve one or two days and get out." 29 May 2017: BirGün executives sent to prison Two executives of the leftist opposition BirGün daily, İbrahim Aydın and Berkant Gültekin, were sent to a prison in the northwestern province of Kırklareli on May 29 to serve a prison sentence handed down earlier. Aydın and Gültekin were sentenced to 21 months in prison for a news story that the court deemed contained “insult to the president.” They are expected to be released in the coming days under recently amended laws which grant release on probation for those who have been given a prison term of less than 24 months. 2 July 2016: Editors fined for insulting president Two editors at the socialist daily Birgün were fined for insulting Erdoğan on July 2, local press reported. Berkant Gültekin and İbrahim Aydın were each sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in prison for "insulting the president in a public way" by the Second Istanbul Court of First Instance. The charges related to a report on corruption allegations. The sentence was commuted to a fine of 10,500 Turkish lira (USD$3,589) each. 10 December 2015: Three journalists get suspended sentences for ‘insulting’ Erdoğan Three journalists from daily Birgün were sentenced to 11 months in prison on Dec. 10 for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with the court later suspending the sentences. Birgün coordinator Barış İnce, Editor-in-Chief Berkant Gültekin and Managing Editor Can Uğur on Dec. 10 received sentences of 11 months and 20 days in prison each for allegedly insulting Erdoğan in a news story on the front page of the daily’s Feb. 17 issue. The court, however, postponed the prison sentence on the conviction that the defendants would not engage in further criminal activities, but ruled for the three to be on probation for one year. “We back what we published on the front page,” said Gültekin at the court hearing. Birgün said on Dec. 10 that a slogan could not be used as a pretext to file cases against people and arrest them. “Two colleagues of mine, Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, were here in this building last week. I’m sending them my warm greetings,” Birgün coordinator İnce said in the previous court hearing on Dec. 1. Dündar and Gül were arrested on terrorism charges due to daily Cumhuriyet’s coverage of a story on trucks that were bound for Syria with weapons. The trucks were reportedly owned by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT), Turkey’s state intelligence agency. Dozens of lawsuits have been filed against journalists in Turkey for allegedly insulting government officials, while dozens of others have been sued on terrorism charges. Today’s Zaman former Editor-in-Chief Bülent Keneş and daily Zaman columnist Sevgi Akarçeşme, meanwhile, received suspended prison sentences after they were sentenced to one year and two months and one year and five months in prison, respectively, for allegedly insulting Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Twitter.

Berkant Gültekin.
Birgün editor-in-Chief

31-Jan-2019

3 June 2017:
BirGün journalists released from prison

BirGün newspaper’s copyrights owner İbrahim Aydın and former Responsible Managing Editor Berkant Gültekin were released from prison after spending six days, serving part of a 21-month conviction regarding a news story published in the newspaper.

The two were released on 3 June under a law, which allows convicts who have received a prison term of less than 24-months to be released under judicial probation. The number of journalists in prison has gone down to 167 following the release of the two Birgünjournalists. The full list can be viewed here.

31 May 2017:
Newspaper publisher, editor jailed for insulting president
İbrahim Aydın and Berkant Gültekin, the publisher and former responsible news editor of the socialist daily newspaper Birgün were jailed on charges of "insulting the president," the newspaper reported on May 28. The charges related to their reporting on a 2015 protest, for which they were each sentenced to 21 months in prison. The two were jailed in Kırklareli Prison, the newspaper reported, but expect to be released soon because of recent changes to the law governing prison sentences. Gültekin, writing on Twitter, on May 28 said, "It is not a big deal. I mean, it is a big deal, but not in the condition that Turkey is in. We are sentenced for insulting the president due to a headline from two years ago. We will serve one or two days and get out."

29 May 2017:
BirGün executives sent to prison

Two executives of the leftist opposition BirGün daily, İbrahim Aydın and Berkant Gültekin, were sent to a prison in the northwestern province of Kırklareli on May 29 to serve a prison sentence handed down earlier.

Aydın and Gültekin were sentenced to 21 months in prison for a news story that the court deemed contained “insult to the president.” They are expected to be released in the coming days under recently amended laws which grant release on probation for those who have been given a prison term of less than 24 months.

2 July 2016:
Editors fined for insulting president

Two editors at the socialist daily Birgün were fined for insulting Erdoğan on July 2, local press reported. Berkant Gültekin and İbrahim Aydın were each sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in prison for "insulting the president in a public way" by the Second Istanbul Court of First Instance. The charges related to a report on corruption allegations. The sentence was commuted to a fine of 10,500 Turkish lira (USD$3,589) each.

10 December 2015:

Three journalists get suspended sentences for ‘insulting’ Erdoğan

Three journalists from daily Birgün were sentenced to 11 months in prison on Dec. 10 for allegedly insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, with the court later suspending the sentences.

Birgün coordinator Barış İnce, Editor-in-Chief Berkant Gültekin and Managing Editor Can Uğur on Dec. 10 received sentences of 11 months and 20 days in prison each for allegedly insulting Erdoğan in a news story on the front page of the daily’s Feb. 17 issue.

The court, however, postponed the prison sentence on the conviction that the defendants would not engage in further criminal activities, but ruled for the three to be on probation for one year.

“We back what we published on the front page,” said Gültekin at the court hearing.

Birgün said on Dec. 10 that a slogan could not be used as a pretext to file cases against people and arrest them.

“Two colleagues of mine, Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, were here in this building last week. I’m sending them my warm greetings,” Birgün coordinator İnce said in the previous court hearing on Dec. 1.

Dündar and Gül were arrested on terrorism charges due to daily Cumhuriyet’s coverage of a story on trucks that were bound for Syria with weapons. The trucks were reportedly owned by the Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MİT), Turkey’s state intelligence agency.

Dozens of lawsuits have been filed against journalists in Turkey for allegedly insulting government officials, while dozens of others have been sued on terrorism charges.

Today’s Zaman former Editor-in-Chief Bülent Keneş and daily Zaman columnist Sevgi Akarçeşme, meanwhile, received suspended prison sentences after they were sentenced to one year and two months and one year and five months in prison, respectively, for allegedly insulting Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on Twitter.

Berkant Gültekin. Birgün editor-in-Chief

Three journalists get suspended sentences for ‘insulting’ Erdoğan

Berkant Gültekin.
Birgün editor-in-Chief