Journalists in State of Emergency – 68

 Witnesses who earlier testified against journalist Nedim Türfent said their testimony was taken under torture in statements given to the Hakkari 2nd High Criminal Court on June 14.
 
Türfent, who published reports on alleged rights violations that occurred under a curfew announced in Yüksekova, a district of the predominantly Kurdish province Hakkari, for the security forces to conduct operations in the area, was indicted on the basis of testimony from various people.
 
Of the thirteen witnesses who testified in the first hearing, all but one said their initial statements had been extracted under torture. Türfent himself also stated that he had been subject to physical abuse.
 
Türfent, who is being held at Van High Security Prison, wasn’t brought to the Hakkari courthouse. He attended via the SEGBIS judicial teleconferencing system. “I am a journalist, I carried out my duties as a journalist. Journalism is not a crime,” he said in his statement.
 
A large number of local and international organizations attended the trial as monitors.
 
The journalist also said he was subject to maltreatment while being taken into custody. “A security officer took a selfie while stepping on my head. Police officers wearing masks hit me with rifle butts. The torture I have endured has been established in medical reports. I had filed a criminal complaint and I would like to repeat it here.”
 
He reiterated that reporting the news is his job.
 
The witnesses who spoke in trial recited harrowing accounts of torture. “I signed my testimony while my head was being hit against a table. I have no idea what was in it,” one said. Another one said that two of his teeth were extracted with a pair of pliers. Others recounted similar experiences.
 
In spite of the witness statements, the prosecution demanded that Türfent remain under arrest. The judges ruled in accordance with the prosecution’s request.
 
Enis Berberoğlu arrested in MİT Trucks case
 
Journalist, writer and opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Enis Berberoğlu was arrested on June 14 after a court handed down a 25-year prison sentence  to him in a trial regarding news reports published in the Cumhuriyet daily, suggesting that trucks operated by the National Intelligence Agency (MİT) transferred weapons to armed jihadists in Syria.
 
Berberoğlu was convicted on charges of “political and military espionage” and “aiding and abetting the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ)” in the trial where Cumhuriyet journalists Erdem Gül and Can Dündar are also listed as defendants.
 
The court, which separated the Gül and Dündar’s case from that of Berberoğlu, ruled that Berberoğlu had “disclosed confidential state documents for purposes of political and military espionage.”
 
Berberoğlu and Gül were present in the courtroom, while Dündar, who fled to Germany, wasn’t in attendance.
 
While he was being arrested by police Berberoğlu said: “This is the illicit justice of the New Turkey. This is what happens when those who are in bed with FETÖ become judges.”
 
The CHP’s parliamentary group convened in an extraordinary meeting following Berberoğlu’s arrest.
 
Engin Altay, a deputy head of the CHP’s parliamentary group, said in a statement he made before the courthouse that the ruling sought to intimidate anyone who is disturbed by the policies of the Justice and Development Party (AKP). “But it shouldn’t be forgotten that neither the CHP nor others who are against the dictator will allow this country to turn into the dictator’s backyard. We will do what needs to be done. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will be tried as a war criminal based on the same file which was used in this trial.”
 
Former editor-in-chief of Cumhruiyet Can Dündar tweeted: “This ruling was not made in the name of the Turkish nation, but of the AKP state.” Dündar referred to the court’s decision as a “ruling of shame.”
 
Oğuz Güven released, Zehra Doğan arrested
 
On June 14, the chief editor of Cumhuriyet’s internet edition Oğuz Güven, who had been in prison for 30 days, was released from prison.
 
Güven was arrested on charges of “propaganda for a terrorist organization” and “defaming the memory of a dead person” after the authorities complained about the headline used for a news report about the death of a prosecutor who was investigating a coup-attempt related trial.
 
On June 12, Zehra Doğan, an editor for the shuttered Jin News Agency (JINHA) was arrested. She was held by police in Mardin and later arrested and sent to Diyarbakır Prison to serve a prison sentence of two years, 11 months and 22 days, which was recently upheld by a higher court.
 
Doğan was initially charged with and convicted for “terrorist propaganda” over her news reports and social media tweets concerning alleged rights violations committed by Turkish security forces during curfews in the Nusaybin district of Mardin.
 
 
ECtHR sets deadline for gov’t to respond in journalist cases
 
On June 14, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) said it had started reviewing applications from journalists Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan, Şahin Alpay, Atilla Taş and Murat Aksoy. According to tweets from the journalists’ lawyers, the Court sent questions to the Turkish government about the cases of the journalists, demanding a response to be given by October 4.
 
 
List of journalists in prison pending trials or serving a conviction
 
1          Abdulkadir Turay, DİHA reporter
2          Abdullah Kılıç, Habertürk
3          Zehra Doğan, Jinha
4          Abdullah Özyurt, Zaman reporter
5          Abdulvahap İş (Freelance journalist)
6          Abdürrahim Ersöz, Antalya
7          Ahmet Altan
8          Ahmet Memiş, Gazeteci, Haberdar news website
9          Ahmet Metin Sekizkardeş, Zaman journalist
10        Ahmet Şık, Cumhuriyet reporter
11        Ahmet Turan Alkan, Zaman
12        Ahmet Yavaş, TRT (Erzurum)
13        Akın Atalay, Pres. of Cumhuriyet Foundation Executive Board
14        Alaattin Güner, Cihan media director
15        Ali Ahmet Böken, TRT News coordinator
16        Ali Aşikar – Azadiya Welat
17        Ali Babür Boysal, Zaman page designer
18        Ali Bulaç, Eski Zaman columnist
19        Ali Konar, Azadiya Welat bureau chief
20        Ali Ünal, Zaman columnist
21        Ali Yüce, TRT Radio broadcasts chief
22        Arafat Dayan, Demokratik Ulus
23        Aslı Ceren Aslan, Özgür Gelecek
24        Atilla Taş, Meydan columnist
25        Ayhan Demir, Çaldıran News Agency
26        Ayşe Nazlı Ilıcak
27        Ayşenur Parıldak, Zaman, Haberdar
28        Aytekin Gezici, journalist/writer
29        Aziz İstegün, Diyarbakır Zaman representative
30        Bayram Kaya, Zaman reporter
31        Beytullah Özdemir, Zaman Düzce bureau chief
32        Burçin Dokgöz, former Zaman and Çorum reporter
33        Bülent Utku, Cumhuriyet Foundation board member
34        Bünyamin Köseli, Aksiyon magazine reporter
35        Cebrail Parıltı, Anadolu Ajansı (AA) Derik reporter
36        Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Journalists and Writers’ Foundation
37        Ceren Taşkın, Hatay'ın Sesi
38        Cihan Acar, Bugün reporter
39        Cuma Kaya, Zaman
40        Cuma Ulus, Millet newspaper’s publications coordinator
41        Deniz Yücel, Die Welt
42        Emin Demir, Freelancer
43        Emre Soncan, Zaman defense reporter
44        Ercan Gün, Fox TV
45        Erdal Süsem, Eylül magazine editor
46        Erdal Şen, former Meydan managing editor
47        Erol Yüksel (TRT News Department vice president))
48        Erol Zavar, Odak magazine, owner and newsroom director
49        Fahrettin Kılıç, Özgür Toplum
50        Faruk Akkan, Cihan news agency
51        Ferhat Çiftçi, Azadiya Welat Gaziantep bureau chief
52        Fevzi Yazıcı
53        Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Türksolu columnist
54        Gökmen Ulu, Sözcü
55        Gurbet Çakar, Hevi women’s magazine
56        Gültekin Avcı
57        Güray Tekin Öz, columnist
58        Habip Güler, Zaman reporter
59        Hakan Aksel, TRT producer-director
60        Hakan Ergün, Azadiya Welat and Özgür Gündem distributor
61        Hakan Karasinir, columnist
62        Hakan Taşdelen
63        Halil İbrahim Mert, TRT (Erzurum)
64        Hamit Dilbahar, Azadiya Welat columnist
65        Hamza Günerigök, TRT
66        Hanım Büşra Erdal, Zaman reporter and columnist
67        Hasan Duman, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi distributor
68        Haşim Söylemez, Aksiyon columnist
69        Hatice Duman, Atılım newspaper’s owner and managing editor
70        Hayati Yıldız, Azadiya Welat
71        Hidayet Karaca, Samanyolu Media Group President
72        Hülya Karakaya, Özgür Halk Managing Editor
73        Hüseyin Aydın, Cihan reporter
74        Hüseyin Turan, Zaman columnist
75        İbrahim Balta, Zaman business editor
76        İbrahim Kareyeğen, responsible editor for Zaman
77        İdris Okur, Cihan New Agency Çorum reporter
78        İdris Sayılgan, DİHA
79        İlker İlkan, Azadiya Welat
80        İnan Kızılkaya, Özgür Gündem Newsroom Editor
81        İsa Siyi, Haberdar
82        İsmail Avcı, Zaman
83        İsmail Efe, local press advisor in İzmir
84        Kadri Gürsel, Editorial Advisor
85        Kamuran Sunbat, DİHA Çukurova reporter (formerly)
86        Kazım Kızıl, Kamera Sokak
87        Kemal Sancılı, Özgür Gündem copyrights holder
88        Kenan Karavil, Radyo Dünya editor-in-chief
89        Lokman Erdoğan, Çorum Manşet, owner
90        Mahir Kanaat, BirGün, head of accountingn
91        Mediha Olgun, Sözcü
92        Mehmet Altan
93        Mehmet Baransu, Taraf columnist/reporter
94        Mehmet Dener, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief
95        Mehmet Güleş, DİHA
96        Mehmet Kuru, Zaman Eskişehir reporter
97        Mehmet Özdemir, Zaman columnist
98        Meltem Oktay, DİHA reporter
99        Meşale Tolu, ETHA translater
100      Mikail Barut, Özgür Halk former editor
101      Miktat Algül, Mezitli FM General Publications Coordinator
102      Mizgin Çay – Radyo Karacadağ
103      Muhammet Taşçılar, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief
104      Murat Aksoy,former Yeni Şafak columnist
105      Murat Avcıoğlu, Zaman
106      Murat Çapan,
107      Murat Dağdeviren (Demokrat Gebze owner)
108      Murat Sabuncu, Editor-in- Chief
109      Musa Kart, Cartoonist
110      Mustafa Erkan Acar, Bugün news editor,
111      Mustafa Gök, Ankara bureau chief for Ekmek ve Adalet magazine
112      Mustafa Kemal Güngör, Cumhuriyet Foundation board member
113      Mustafa Ünal, Zaman
114      Mutlu Çölgeçen, Millet, newsroom coordinator
115      Mümtazer Türköne, Zaman columnist
116      Nadir Yücel, Çorum Yıldız (local) Editor-in-Chief
117      Nedim Türfent,DİHA
118      Nizamettin İzgi (Batman Newspaper’s owner)
119      Nur Ener, Yeni Asya
120      Nuri Durna, TRT
121      Nuri Yeşil, Azadiya Welat Dersim bureau chief
122      Nurullah Kaya, G.antep Zaman representative
123      Oğuz Usluer, Habertürk former broadcasts coordinator
124      Osman Yakut, Zaman Antalya
125      Ozan Kaplanoğlu, Bursa Muhalif
126      Ömer Çelik, DİHA news manager
127      Ömer Oruç, Cihan newspaper
128      Ömer Özdemir, Antalya eski Zaman muhabiri
129      Önder Çelik, Cumhuriyet Foundation board member
130      Özcan Keser (TRT reporter)
131      Özgür Amed (Ethem Çağır), Özgür Gündem writer
132      Rabia Özkaya, Özgür Halk
133      Ramazan Alkan, Yeni Akit reporter
134      Resul Cengiz, Denizli reporter with Zaman
135      Sadık Demir – Radyo Karacadağ
136      Salih Erbekler – Radyo Karacadağ
137      Sami Tunca, Mücadele Birliği magazine Managing Editor
138      Selman Keleş, DİHA
139      Serhat Şeftali, Zaman regional bureau chief for the Med region
140      Serkan Aydemir, Bitlis Aktüel reporter
141      Seyid Kılıç, TRT News
142      Seyithan Akyüz, Azadiya Welat Adana bureau chief
143      Sezgin Kartal, Sosyalist Dayanımşa magazine
144      Şahabettin Demir, DİHA reporter
145      Şahin Alpay, Zaman columnist
146      Şeref Yılmaz, Irmak TV
147      Şerife Oruç, DİHA reporter
148      Şirin Çoban, Azadiya Welat
149      Tahsin Kürklü, Zaman – head of Logistics Department
150      Togay Okay, Özgür Gelecek
151      Tunca Öğreten, former Diken editor
152      Tuncer Çetinkaya, Zaman Antalya
153      Turhan Günay, Chief Editor of Cumhuriyet supplement
154      Ufuk Şanlı, former Vatan columnist
155      Ulaş Sezgin, ETHA reporter
156      Ünal Tanık, Rota Haber editor-in-chief
157      Vahit Yazgan, İzmir Zaman bureau chief
158      Vedat Beki, Sözcü 18
159      Vedat Demir, former Yarına Bakış writer
160      Yakup Çetin, Zaman reporter
161      Yakup Şimşek, Zaman, marketing director
162      Yalçın Güler, TRT (Erzurum)
163      Yener Dönmez, Habervaktim news website
164      Yetkin Yıldız, Aktif Haber website editor
165      Yılmaz Kahraman, Özgür Halk editor
166      Zafer Özsoy
167      Ziya Ataman, DİHA reporter