The new Turkey Alican Uludağ Cumhuriyet reporter
23-Feb-2020 10:54
9 January 2020: Trial of Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç adjourned until April The fifth hearing in a trial where journalists Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç stand accused of “publicly degrading the judiciary” under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) took place on 9 January 2020 at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The accusation stems from Uludağ and Güvenç’s reports about the developments surrounding US pastor Andrew Brunson, who remained in pre-trial detention in Turkey for two years before being released in October 2018. P24 monitored the hearing, where both journalists were represented by their lawyers. Granting defense lawyers additional time for their statements, the court adjourned the trial until 16 April 2020. 10 October 2019: Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç’s trial on TCK 301 charge adjourned The fourth hearing of a trial where journalists Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç stand accused of “publicly degrading the judiciary” under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) took place on 10 October 2019 at the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance of Istanbul. Uludağ and Güvenç are accused on account of their reporting for Cumhuriyet newspaper about the developments surrounding US pastor Andrew Brunson, who remained in detention in Turkey for two years before being released in October 2018. P24 monitored the hearing, where Duygu Güvenç and her lawyer Abbas Yalçın were in attendance. Güvenç presented her defense statement during the hearing and denied the accusation. Güvenç’s lawyer told the court that his client faced another criminal case over the same news coverage, overseen by the 2nd High Criminal Court of Izmir, and asked the court to request the case file from the Izmir court. The lawyer also requested a continuance for Güvenç’s defense statement. Accepting Yalçın’s requests, the court adjourned the trial until 9 January 2020. 30 April 2019: Compensation case against journalist Uludağ sent to commercial court A compensation case filed against journalist Alican Uludağ by the market chain BİM, seeking TL 250,000 in non-pecuniary damages for a news report Uludağ penned for the Cumhuriyet daily, got under way on 30 April in an Istanbul court. P24 monitored the hearing. BİM is accusing Uludağ of damaging the company’s brand through his report and two social media posts. Uludağ’s lawyer addressed the Anadolu 9th Civil Court of First Instance for Uludağ’ defense during the hearing, explaining to the court that Uludağ’s tweets and his report were part of the freedom of the press. At the end of the hearing, the Anadolu 9th Civil Court of First Instance ruled that it had no jurisdiction over the case and sent the case file to a commercial court. 4 April 2019: Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç’s trial adjourned The second hearing of a trial where journalists Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç stand accused of “publicly degrading the judiciary” took place on 4 April at the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance of Istanbul. Uludağ and Güvenç are accused on account of their reporting in the Cumhuriyet newspaper on the developments surrounding US pastor Andrew Brunson, who remained in detention in Turkey for two years before being released in October. The trial was adjourned until 20 June because the judge was on leave. 7 February 2019: Cumhuriyet reporter Alican Uludağ given jail sentence An Istanbul court gave Cumhuriyet reporter Alican Uludağ a prison sentence of 10 months on the charge of “breaching the confidentiality of a criminal investigation” for a news story he penned on 20 March 2017. The 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance of Istanbul initially gave Uludağ a 1-year sentence, which it then reduced to 10 months. The court also deferred Uludağ’s sentence. Source 12 October 2018: Cumhuriyet reporters to stand trial for Pastor Brunson coverage An indictment has been issued against Cumhuriyet reporters Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç, accusing the journalists of “publicly degrading the judiciary” as per Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code, on account of their reporting about the US pastor Andrew Brunson, who was released from house arrest on Friday. The journalists will appear before the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance of Istanbul on 20 December 2018 for the first hearing of the trial. Turkish journalists charged for reports on Brunson case Friday was a good day for Andrew Brunson, the U.S. pastor allowed by a Turkish court to return to the United States after two years in detention, but was far less positive for critical journalists from secularist daily Cumhuriyet, who have been charged with denigrating the Turkish judiciary for their news stories reporting on the case, Turkish news site Evrensel has reported. Brunson was arrested in October 2016 for allegedly collaborating with two groups classified as terrorist organisations by Turkey – the Gülen religious movement, which is accused of planning a coup attempt in July 2016, and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group that has fought Turkish security forces in pursuit of Kurdish self-rule for decades. Observers of the trial have called into question the evidence against Brunson, much of which they say was based on non-credible sources such as secret documents and anonymous witness statements, and many described the imprisonment of the pastor as a form of “hostage diplomacy” designed to extract concessions from the United States. Despite encouraging such speculation with a statement seemingly inviting the United States to extradite Gülen movement leader Fethullah Gülen, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has maintained that the prosecution of the U.S. pastor, and the decision to release him on Friday, was conducted entirely by an independent judiciary. However, Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç, two journalists with Cumhuriyet newspaper, have suggested otherwise in their reports on the trial, and could be set to pay the price for news stories deemed by prosecutors to have denigrated the judiciary. The stories in question included headlines such as “U.S.-regulated justice,” and “as hostage diplomacy collapses.” Cumhuriyet’s diplomacy reporter, Duygu Güvenç, argued that the pieces concerned relations between the two countries and justified journalistic criticism, however, the court has ruled that the trial against the two journalists will go ahead, with the first hearing scheduled for December 20. Brunson was released on Friday after a judge sentenced him to over three years in prison, but ruled that the two years he had already spent in pre-trial detention was sufficient jail time. Erdoğan maintains that the court has acted independently. However, U.S. officials quoted by NBC News on Thursday said that Brunson would be released thanks to a secret deal struck between the U.S. and Turkish governments. Source 13 June 2016: Newspaper, TV station face legal action for coverage of Ankara bombing Independent daily newspaper Cumhuriyet and leftwing television station Hayatin Sesi face legal action for their reporting on a March 13, 2016, bomb attack in the capital Ankara, according to press reports. Cumhuriyet faces a criminal investigation for violating a partial ban on reporting the bombing, which killed at least 32 people, for running photographs of the injured on its front page the following day, Cumhuriyet reported Friday. The Instanbul Chief Public Prosecutor summoned Alican Uludağ, Sinan Tartanoğlu, Ozan Çepni, and Necati Savaş, the journalists and the photographer credited as having contributed to the paper's front-page coverage, for interrogation, Cumhuriyet reported. The RTÜK, Turkey's government broadcast regulator, fined Hayatin Sesi TV 14,359 Turkish liras (roughly U.S. $4916), saying the station's coverage of the March 13 attack portrayed those who carried out the attacks as strong and fearsome, Socialist daily Evrensel, the channel's sister publication, reported.

The new Turkey
Alican Uludağ
Cumhuriyet reporter

23-Feb-2020 10:54

9 January 2020:

Trial of Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç adjourned until April

The fifth hearing in a trial where journalists Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç stand accused of “publicly degrading the judiciary” under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) took place on 9 January 2020 at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.

The accusation stems from Uludağ and Güvenç’s reports about the developments surrounding US pastor Andrew Brunson, who remained in pre-trial detention in Turkey for two years before being released in October 2018.

P24 monitored the hearing, where both journalists were represented by their lawyers. Granting defense lawyers additional time for their statements, the court adjourned the trial until 16 April 2020.

10 October 2019:

Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç’s trial on TCK 301 charge adjourned
The fourth hearing of a trial where journalists Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç stand accused of “publicly degrading the judiciary” under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) took place on 10 October 2019 at the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance of Istanbul.

Uludağ and Güvenç are accused on account of their reporting for Cumhuriyet newspaper about the developments surrounding US pastor Andrew Brunson, who remained in detention in Turkey for two years before being released in October 2018.

P24 monitored the hearing, where Duygu Güvenç and her lawyer Abbas Yalçın were in attendance. Güvenç presented her defense statement during the hearing and denied the accusation.

Güvenç’s lawyer told the court that his client faced another criminal case over the same news coverage, overseen by the 2nd High Criminal Court of Izmir, and asked the court to request the case file from the Izmir court. The lawyer also requested a continuance for Güvenç’s defense statement. Accepting Yalçın’s requests, the court adjourned the trial until 9 January 2020.

30 April 2019:

Compensation case against journalist Uludağ sent to commercial court

A compensation case filed against journalist Alican Uludağ by the market chain BİM, seeking TL 250,000 in non-pecuniary damages for a news report Uludağ penned for the Cumhuriyet daily, got under way on 30 April in an Istanbul court. P24 monitored the hearing. BİM is accusing Uludağ of damaging the company’s brand through his report and two social media posts.

Uludağ’s lawyer addressed the Anadolu 9th Civil Court of First Instance for Uludağ’ defense during the hearing, explaining to the court that Uludağ’s tweets and his report were part of the freedom of the press. At the end of the hearing, the Anadolu 9th Civil Court of First Instance ruled that it had no jurisdiction over the case and sent the case file to a commercial court.

4 April 2019:

Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç’s trial adjourned
The second hearing of a trial where journalists Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç stand accused of “publicly degrading the judiciary” took place on 4 April at the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance of Istanbul.

Uludağ and Güvenç are accused on account of their reporting in the Cumhuriyet newspaper on the developments surrounding US pastor Andrew Brunson, who remained in detention in Turkey for two years before being released in October.
The trial was adjourned until 20 June because the judge was on leave.

7 February 2019:

Cumhuriyet reporter Alican Uludağ given jail sentence

An Istanbul court gave Cumhuriyet reporter Alican Uludağ a prison sentence of 10 months on the charge of “breaching the confidentiality of a criminal investigation” for a news story he penned on 20 March 2017.

The 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance of Istanbul initially gave Uludağ a 1-year sentence, which it then reduced to 10 months. The court also deferred Uludağ’s sentence. Source

12 October 2018:

Cumhuriyet reporters to stand trial for Pastor Brunson coverage

An indictment has been issued against Cumhuriyet reporters Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç, accusing the journalists of “publicly degrading the judiciary” as per Article 301 of the Turkish Criminal Code, on account of their reporting about the US pastor Andrew Brunson, who was released from house arrest on Friday.

The journalists will appear before the 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance of Istanbul on 20 December 2018 for the first hearing of the trial.

Turkish journalists charged for reports on Brunson case

Friday was a good day for Andrew Brunson, the U.S. pastor allowed by a Turkish court to return to the United States after two years in detention, but was far less positive for critical journalists from secularist daily Cumhuriyet, who have been charged with denigrating the Turkish judiciary for their news stories reporting on the case, Turkish news site Evrensel has reported.

Brunson was arrested in October 2016 for allegedly collaborating with two groups classified as terrorist organisations by Turkey – the Gülen religious movement, which is accused of planning a coup attempt in July 2016, and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group that has fought Turkish security forces in pursuit of Kurdish self-rule for decades.

Observers of the trial have called into question the evidence against Brunson, much of which they say was based on non-credible sources such as secret documents and anonymous witness statements, and many described the imprisonment of the pastor as a form of “hostage diplomacy” designed to extract concessions from the United States.

Despite encouraging such speculation with a statement seemingly inviting the United States to extradite Gülen movement leader Fethullah Gülen, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has maintained that the prosecution of the U.S. pastor, and the decision to release him on Friday, was conducted entirely by an independent judiciary.

However, Alican Uludağ and Duygu Güvenç, two journalists with Cumhuriyet newspaper, have suggested otherwise in their reports on the trial, and could be set to pay the price for news stories deemed by prosecutors to have denigrated the judiciary.

The stories in question included headlines such as “U.S.-regulated justice,” and “as hostage diplomacy collapses.”

Cumhuriyet’s diplomacy reporter, Duygu Güvenç, argued that the pieces concerned relations between the two countries and justified journalistic criticism, however, the court has ruled that the trial against the two journalists will go ahead, with the first hearing scheduled for December 20.

Brunson was released on Friday after a judge sentenced him to over three years in prison, but ruled that the two years he had already spent in pre-trial detention was sufficient jail time.

Erdoğan maintains that the court has acted independently. However, U.S. officials quoted by NBC News on Thursday said that Brunson would be released thanks to a secret deal struck between the U.S. and Turkish governments. Source

13 June 2016:

Newspaper, TV station face legal action for coverage of Ankara bombing

Independent daily newspaper Cumhuriyet and leftwing television station Hayatin Sesi face legal action for their reporting on a March 13, 2016, bomb attack in the capital Ankara, according to press reports.

Cumhuriyet faces a criminal investigation for violating a partial ban on reporting the bombing, which killed at least 32 people, for running photographs of the injured on its front page the following day, Cumhuriyet reported Friday. The Instanbul Chief Public Prosecutor summoned Alican Uludağ, Sinan Tartanoğlu, Ozan Çepni, and Necati Savaş, the journalists and the photographer credited as having contributed to the paper's front-page coverage, for interrogation, Cumhuriyet reported.

The RTÜK, Turkey's government broadcast regulator, fined Hayatin Sesi TV 14,359 Turkish liras (roughly U.S. $4916), saying the station's coverage of the March 13 attack portrayed those who carried out the attacks as strong and fearsome, Socialist daily Evrensel, the channel's sister publication, reported.

The new Turkey Alican Uludağ Cumhuriyet reporter

Turkish journalists charged for reports on Brunson case

The new Turkey
Alican Uludağ
Cumhuriyet reporter