The new Turkey |
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31-Dec-2019 |
24 October 2019: Odatv journalist stands trial for “insulting” defense minister Odatv news editor Müyesser Yıldız appeared before the Ankara 35th Criminal Court of First Instance on 24 October 2019 for the second hearing of a trial launched upon a news report she wrote, concerning a secret witness statement submitted to a court in a separate trial. Yıldız was sued by Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, who claimed the report amounted to “slander” against him. The Ankara court rejected a request from Yıldız’s lawyers to hear the secret witness in question, who claimed in his statement that Akar was “secretly a FETÖ member.” The court also established that the charge against Yıldız changed from “slander” to “insulting a public official.” Granting Yıldız additional time for her defense statement in response to the new charge, the court adjourned the trial until 5 March 2020. |
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