The new Turkey
Dilşah Karakaya
Journalist Özgür Gündem

23-Jul-2019 8:56

14 June 2019:

38 Face Lawsuit for Reporting, Commenting on Economic Crisis
Journalists Karakaya and Yalınkılıç reported on the economic crisis in 2018. Now they and 36 others, including journalists and economists, who commented on the article face jail terms for "trying to weaken the economic order and stability of the state."

Journalists Kerim Karakaya and Fercan Yalınkılıç published an article on the Bloomberg last year about the effect of Turkish lira's sudden loss of value on the banks in Turkey, which lead the Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency (BDDK) to file a complaint against the reporters. The prosecutor's office has prepared a bill of indictment, demanding two to five years of jail terms for the journalists for "trying to weaken the economic order and stability of the state."

The BDDK filed a complaint against not only the reporters but also 36 others who commented on the article on social media. Economist Mustafa Sönmez, lawyer Gazi Kozanoğlu, and journalists Merdan Yanardağ and Sedef Kabaş Yirmibeşoğlu are among them. The İstanbul 3rd Penal Court of First Instance has accepted the indictment. The first hearing of the case will be held on September 20 at the İstanbul courthouse.

Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait said "we condemn the indictment issued against our reporters, who have reported fairly and accurately on newsworthy events. We fully stand by them and will support them throughout this ordeal."

28 March 2019:

“Özgür Gündem solidarity case” adjourned until next week

A trial where 13 people, most of whom are journalists, stand accused of “terrorism propaganda” for joining in a solidarity campaign for the shuttered Özgür Gündem daily resumed on 28 March at the 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul.

P24 monitored the hearing, where the prosecution reiterated their previous opinion of the case. The prosecutor is seeking prison terms for 12 of the 13 defendants -- Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Celal Başlangıç, İhsan Çaralan, Fehim Işık, Öncü Akgül, Faruk Eren, Celalettin Can, Ömer Ağın, Veysel Kemer, Dilşah Karakaya, Yüksel Oğuz and Özgür Gündem’s former co-editor-in-chief Hüseyin Aykol -- on the charge of “conducting propaganda for a terrorist organization.” The prosecutor did not request a prison sentence for the 13th defendant, Mehmet Şirin Taşdemir, on grounds that he has already been convicted in another case.

Accepting the defense lawyers’ request for additional time for the final defense statements, the court adjourned the trial until 3 April.

16 July 2018:

Özgür Gündem solidarity trial adjourned until October
 
The eighth hearing of the trial of journalists who joined in a solidarity campaign for the shuttered Özgür Gündem daily was held on 16 July at the 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul.
 
The prosecutor had submitted his final opinion of the case during the previous hearing, seeking prison terms for 12 of the 13 defendants -- Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Celal Başlangıç, İhsan Çaralan, Fehim Işık, Öncü Akgül, Faruk Eren, Celalettin Can, Ömer Ağın, Veysel Kemer, Dilşah Karakaya, Yüksel Oğuz and Özgür Gündem’s former co-editor-in-chief Hüseyin Aykol -- on the charge of “conducting propaganda for a terrorist organization.” The prosecutor did not request a prison sentence for the 13th defendant, Mehmet Şirin Taşdemir, on grounds that he has already been convicted in another case.
 
P24 monitored the hearing on 16 July, where none of the defendants were in attendance. Defense lawyers addressing the court for the final defense statements requested that the investigation be expanded. The lawyers also raised objection of unconstitutionality.
 
Rejecting the lawyers’ requests and objections, the court adjourned the trial until 10 October for the rest of the final defense statements to be ready.*