The new Turkey Kamil Tekin Sürek. Evrensel columnist
24-Jan-2019 16:25
6 December 2018: “Insulting the president” case against Evrensel columnist adjourned The third hearing of a trial where lawyer and Evrensel columnist Kamil Tekin Sürek is accused of “insulting the president” was held on 6 December at the Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance in Istanbul. Sürek’s lawyer Devrim Avcı requested a continuance for the defense statement in response to the prosecutor’s final opinion. The court agreed to grant additional time, adjourning the trial until 20 December 2018. 24 October 2018: “Insulting the president” case against Evrensel columnist adjourned The second hearing in the case where lawyer and Evrensel columnist Kamil Tekin Sürek stands accused of “insulting the president” in a newspaper column was held on 24 October in Istanbul. Sürek and his lawyer Devrim Avcı, as well as the lawyer representing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the hearing at the Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. Lawyer Avcı told the court that based on the amendments introduced to the Turkish Constitution as part of the recently implemented presidential system, the president of Turkey was not an impartial head of state anymore but the leader of a political party. Adding that for this reason the provisions in Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code were unconstitutional, Avcı requested that the court take into consideration said amendments while rendering its decision. The judge issued an interim ruling at the end of the hearing, adjourning the trial until 6 December 2018. The judge also ruled that the court would make a decision regarding Avcı’s previous motion for unconstitutionality at a later date, after reviewing the relevant petition and the case file. 28 June 2018: Evrensel columnist standing trial for “insulting the president” Evrensel columnist Kamil Tekin Sürek on June 28 appeared before an Istanbul court for the first hearing of a trial in which he is accused of “insulting the president” in an article he wrote titled “Faşist Diktatörlük” (Fascist Dictatorship). The case was opened following a complaint filed by one of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s lawyers. Sürek told the Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance that his article had not personally targeted the president, but was about the system, the government and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Erdoğan’s lawyer requested to participate in the trial as plaintiff. Sürek’s lawyer Devrim Avcı Özkurt also told the court that the said article included criticism aimed at the government as a whole. Issuing an interim ruling at the end of the hearing, the judge accepted Erdoğan’s lawyer’s request to be a plaintiff in the case on grounds that the president was “harmed by the crime” and adjourned the trial until October 24, 2018.

The new Turkey
Kamil Tekin Sürek.
Evrensel columnist

24-Jan-2019 16:25

6 December 2018:

“Insulting the president” case against Evrensel columnist adjourned

The third hearing of a trial where lawyer and Evrensel columnist Kamil Tekin Sürek is accused of “insulting the president” was held on 6 December at the Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance in Istanbul. Sürek’s lawyer Devrim Avcı requested a continuance for the defense statement in response to the prosecutor’s final opinion. The court agreed to grant additional time, adjourning the trial until 20 December 2018.

24 October 2018:

“Insulting the president” case against Evrensel columnist adjourned

The second hearing in the case where lawyer and Evrensel columnist Kamil Tekin Sürek stands accused of “insulting the president” in a newspaper column was held on 24 October in Istanbul.

Sürek and his lawyer Devrim Avcı, as well as the lawyer representing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the hearing at the Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.

Lawyer Avcı told the court that based on the amendments introduced to the Turkish Constitution as part of the recently implemented presidential system, the president of Turkey was not an impartial head of state anymore but the leader of a political party. Adding that for this reason the provisions in Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code were unconstitutional, Avcı requested that the court take into consideration said amendments while rendering its decision.

The judge issued an interim ruling at the end of the hearing, adjourning the trial until 6 December 2018. The judge also ruled that the court would make a decision regarding Avcı’s previous motion for unconstitutionality at a later date, after reviewing the relevant petition and the case file.

28 June 2018:

Evrensel columnist standing trial for “insulting the president”

Evrensel columnist Kamil Tekin Sürek on June 28 appeared before an Istanbul court for the first hearing of a trial in which he is accused of “insulting the president” in an article he wrote titled “Faşist Diktatörlük” (Fascist Dictatorship).

The case was opened following a complaint filed by one of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s lawyers.

Sürek told the Bakırköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance that his article had not personally targeted the president, but was about the system, the government and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Erdoğan’s lawyer requested to participate in the trial as plaintiff.

Sürek’s lawyer Devrim Avcı Özkurt also told the court that the said article included criticism aimed at the government as a whole.

Issuing an interim ruling at the end of the hearing, the judge accepted Erdoğan’s lawyer’s request to be a plaintiff in the case on grounds that the president was “harmed by the crime” and adjourned the trial until October 24, 2018.

The new Turkey Kamil Tekin Sürek. Evrensel columnist

The new Turkey
Kamil Tekin Sürek.
Evrensel columnist