The new Turkey
Hazal Ocak.
Reporter for Cumhuriyet daily

Last update: 26-Apr-2020

23 January 2020:

Compensation case against Cumhuriyet journalists adjourned until March

The second hearing in a lawsuit against Hazal Ocak, a reporter for Cumhuriyet daily, and Alev Coşkun, the newspaper’s publisher and chair of the board of Cumhuriyet Foundation, took place on 23 January 2020 at Istanbul’s Anadolu 14th Civil Court of First Instance.

The lawsuit was filed by businessman Mehmet Cengiz, the chairman of Cengiz Holding. The pro-government businessman is seeking TL 1 million in non-pecuniary damages over a 6 October 2019 report in Cumhuriyet about the restoration of a historical Bosphorus villa that burned down in 2014.

P24 monitored the hearing, where Ocak and her lawyer Buket Yazıcı were present. Alev Coşkun did not attend. Mehmet Cengiz’s lawyer Ahmet Mutlu asked the court to reject Yazıcı’s request to hear witnesses. Yazıcı also addressed the court, saying a correction sent to Cumhuriyet about the news story was published in the newspaper and asked the court to dismiss the case.  In its interim ruling, the court ruled to hear witnesses as requested by HAzal Ocak’s lawyer and adjourned the lawsuit until 4 March.

8 January 2020:

Compensation case against Cumhuriyet gets under way

The first hearing in a lawsuit against Hazal Ocak, a reporter for Cumhuriyet daily, and Alev Coşkun, the newspaper’s publisher and chair of the board of Cumhuriyet Foundation, took place on 8 January 2020 at Istanbul’s Anadolu 14th Civil Court of First Instance.

The lawsuit was filed by businessman Mehmet Cengiz, the chairman of Cengiz Holding. The pro-government businessman is seeking TL 1 million in non-pecuniary damages over a 6 October 2019 report in Cumhuriyet about the restoration of a historical Bosphorus villa that burned down in 2014.

P24 monitored the first hearing, where Ocak and her lawyer Buket Yazıcı were in attendance. Alev Coşkun did not attend the hearing. Cengiz’s lawyer told the court that they would not accept an arbitration agreement.

Ocak addressed the court next, asserting that her report was about illegal construction work carried out in the area and that the plaintiff was not the main subject of the report. Her lawyer Yazıcı also told the court they did not accept arbitration.

Issuing an interim ruling at the end of the hearing, the court granted both parties additional time to submit their evidence and witnesses and adjourned the lawsuit until 23 January.