Journalists in State of Emergency – 69

 
First hearing of a “coup” trial in which imprisoned journalists Ahmet and Mehmet Altan and Nazlı Ilıcak, are charged with “participating” in the coup attempt of July 15, 2016, was completed on Friday, June 23. At the end of the five-day hearing, the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court rejected lawyers’ requests for release, ordering that six imprisoned suspects including the Altan brothers and Ilıcak remain in pre-trial detention.
 
Ilıcak, a 73-year-old journalist and political commentator, Yakup Şimşek, the marketing director of the shuttered Zaman newspaper, Fevzi Yazıcı, the daily’s arts director, and advertiser Tibet Murat Sanlıman, the only suspect who is not in pre-trial detention, attended the court session on Friday. Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan and Şükrü Tuğrul Özşengül, a former Police Academy lecturer, attended the session via SEGBİS video conferencing system from Silivri Prison.
 
The prosecutor demanded all six imprisoned defendants remain in pre-trial detention. In an interim decision, the panel of judges of the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court ruled to keep the six defendants in pre-trial detention, citing “severity of charges”, “existence of strong suspicion of crime” and “possibility that the suspects might flee” as grounds.
 
The court ruled that the next hearing of the case would be held on September 19, 2017. It also decided that two witnesses who testified against some of the defendants be heard.
 
The case is the first trial of journalists accused of participating in the failed coup attempt of July 15, 2016.
 
Several international rights groups, including Amnesty International, Article 19, PEN International, Index on Censorship, the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales and the International Senior Lawyers Project sent representatives to monitor the trial. CHP MP Sezgin Tanrıkulu and HDP MP Garo Paylan were among the audience in the courtroom.
 
Ilıcak and Altan brothers are formally accused of “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order”, “attempting to overthrow the Parliament” and “attempting to overthrow the government,” charges carrying three aggravated life sentences. They also face an additional prison term of 15 years on the charge of “committing crimes on behalf of a terrorist organization without being a member.”
 
Another 13 defendants are accused, in addition to coup charges, of “being a terrorist group leader” or “being a terrorist group member.” Defendant Tibet Murat Sanlıman, on the other hand, is charged with “willingly and knowingly aiding a terrorist organization.”
 
In addition to Altan brothers and Ilıcak, former Zaman editor-in-chief Ekrem Dumanlı,  Emrullah Uslu, Tuncay Opçin, former Zaman columnist Abdülkerim Balcı, Şemseddin Efe, Osman Özsoy, Faruk Kardıç, Fevzi Yazıcı, former Zaman executive Mehmet Kamış, Şükrü Tuğrul Özşengül, Yakup Şimşek, former Today’s Zaman editor-in-chief Bülent Keneş, Ali Çolak and Tibet Murat Sanlıman are indicted in the case.
 
Fevzi Yazıcı, Şükrü Tuğrul Özşengül and Yakup Şimşek, as well as the Altans and Ilıcak, are imprisoned while Tibet Murat Sanlıman is free awaiting conclusion of the trial. The remaining 10 defendants are sought for arrest.
 
To read Ahmet Altan’s defense statement, click here.
 
To read Mehmet Altan’s defense statement, click here.
 
Columnist Özgür Amed released from prison
 
Özgür Amed, a former columnist for the shuttered Özgür Gündem daily, was released on June 24, after more than two years in prison.
 
Amed was arrested in Diyarbakır on February 21, 2015 for attending a march in protest of the killing of 34 Kurdish villagers in an air strike near Roboski village. He was sent to prison two days later.
 
Pro-Kurdish Özgür Gündem daily was temporarily closed down in August 2016, on the grounds that it spread “propaganda for a terrorist organization.” In October, the newspaper was shuttered permanently with an emergency decree.
 
The number of journalists in prison serving a conviction or awaiting trial went down to 166 with Amed’s release. Full list of imprisoned journalists can be viewed here.
 
None released in Özgür Gündem trial
 
Fourth hearing of Özgür Gündem trial in which writers and journalists Aslı Erdoğan, Necmiye Alpay, Ragıp Duran, Filiz Koçali, İnan Kızılkaya, Eren Keskin, Bilge Oykut, Zana Kaya and Kemal Sancılı face charges of “terrorism” and “disrupting state unity” was held on June 22 at Istanbul 23rd High Criminal Court.
 
During the hearing, writer Aslı Erdoğan asked the court to lift her travel ban, saying she has been given several awards but she cannot attend award ceremonies to receive them due to the ban. Linguist Necmiye Alpay made the same request. The two imprisoned defendants of the case, Kemal Sancılı, the owner of the shuttered Özgür Gündem daily, and İnan Kızılkaya, its responsible editor, requested that they be released.
 
The court refused to rule for release of the imprisoned defendants but agreed to lift travel bans on Erdoğan and Alpay. It also lifted judicial control measures imposed on Eren Keskin.
 
The next hearing of the case will be held on October 31, 2017.
 
Özgür Gündem voluntary editors appear before judge
 
The fourth hearing of another Özgür Gündem trial was held on June 21 at Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court.
 
Defendants in the case are journalists Ayşe Düzkan and Ragıp Duran, who each symbolically edited Özgür Gündem for a day as part of a solidarity campaign in the summer of 2016, former Özgür Gündem columnists Mehmet Ali Çelebi and Hüseyin Bektaş, and former editor-in-chief of the daily, Hüseyin Aykol.
 
None of the defendants attended the hearing. The court adjourned trial until September 14.
 
Düzkan, Duran, Çelebi and Bektaş are charged with “terrorism propaganda,” facing up to 7.5 years in jail, while Aykol are charged with “terrorism propaganda” and “targeting those who are involved in the fight against terrorism.”
 
 
List of imprisoned journalists in Turkey
 
1          Abdulkadir Turay, DİHA reporter 
2          Abdullah Kılıç, Habertürk  
3          Abdullah Özyurt, Zaman reporter 
4          Abdulvahap İş (Freelance journalist)       
5          Abdürrahim Ersöz, Antalya
6          Ahmet Altan 
7          Ahmet Memiş, Gazeteci, Haberdar news website
8          Ahmet Metin Sekizkardeş, Zaman journalist        
9          Ahmet Şık, Cumhuriyet reporter   
10       Ahmet Turan Alkan, Zaman
11       Ahmet Yavaş, TRT (Erzurum)       
12       Akın Atalay, Pres. of Cumhuriyet Foundation Executive Board 
13       Alaattin Güner, Cihan media director        
14       Ali Ahmet Böken, TRT News coordinator  
15       Ali Aşikar – Azadiya Welat  
16       Ali Babür Boysal, Zaman page designer   
17       Ali Bulaç, Eski Zaman columnist    
18       Ali Konar, Azadiya Welat bureau chief     
19       Ali Ünal, Zaman columnist  
20       Ali Yüce, TRT Radio broadcasts chief        
21       Arafat Dayan, Demokratik Ulus     
22       Aslı Ceren Aslan, Özgür Gelecek    
23       Atilla Taş, Meydan columnist         
24       Ayhan Demir, Çaldıran News Agency       
25       Ayşe Nazlı Ilıcak       
26       Ayşenur Parıldak, Zaman, Haberdar         
27       Aytekin Gezici, journalist/writer    
28       Aziz İstegün, Diyarbakır Zaman representative  
29       Bayram Kaya, Zaman reporter       
30       Beytullah Özdemir, Zaman Düzce bureau chief  
31       Burçin Dokgöz, former Zaman and Çorum reporter       
32       Bülent Utku, Cumhuriyet Foundation board member   
33       Bünyamin Köseli, Aksiyon magazine reporter     
34       Cebrail Parıltı, Anadolu Ajansı (AA) Derik reporter        
35       Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Journalists and Writers’ Foundation      
36       Ceren Taşkın, Hatay'ın Sesi
37       Cihan Acar, Bugün reporter
38       Cuma Kaya, Zaman 
39       Cuma Ulus, Millet newspaper’s publications coordinator          
40       Deniz Yücel, Die Welt          
41       Emin Demir, Freelancer     
42       Emre Soncan, Zaman defense reporter    
43      Ercan Gün, Fox TV   
44       Erdal Süsem, Eylül magazine editor          
45       Erdal Şen, former Meydan managing editor       
46       Erol Yüksel (TRT News Department vice president)      
47       Erol Zavar, Odak magazine, owner and newsroom director      
48       Fahrettin Kılıç, Özgür Toplum       
49       Faruk Akkan, Cihan news agency  
50       Ferhat Çiftçi, Azadiya Welat Gaziantep bureau chief      
51       Fevzi Yazıcı   
52       Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Türksolu columnist          
53       Gökmen Ulu, Sözcü  
54       Gurbet Çakar, Hevi women’s magazine    
55       Gültekin Avcı
56       Güray Tekin Öz, columnist 
57       Habip Güler, Zaman reporter
58       Hakan Aksel, TRT producer-director        
59       Hakan Ergün, Azadiya Welat and Özgür Gündem distributor   
60       Hakan Karasinir, columnist
61       Hakan Taşdelen      
62       Halil İbrahim Mert, TRT (Erzurum)
63       Hamit Dilbahar, Azadiya Welat columnist
64       Hamza Günerigök, TRT       
65       Hanım Büşra Erdal, Zaman reporter and columnist       
66       Hasan Duman, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi distributor         
67       Haşim Söylemez, Aksiyon columnist          
68       Hatice Duman, Atılım newspaper’s owner and managing editor          
69       Hayati Yıldız, Azadiya Welat
70       Hidayet Karaca, Samanyolu Media Group President      
71       Hülya Karakaya, Özgür Halk Managing Editor    
72       Hüseyin Aydın, Cihan reporter      
73       Hüseyin Turan, Zaman columnist 
74       İbrahim Balta, Zaman business editor      
75       İbrahim Kareyeğen, responsible editor for Zaman         
76       İdris Okur, Cihan New Agency Çorum reporter  
77       İdris Sayılgan, DİHA
78       İlker İlkan, Azadiya Welat  
79       İnan Kızılkaya, Özgür Gündem Newsroom Editor
80       İsa Siyi, Haberdar    
81       İsmail Avcı, Zaman  
82       İsmail Efe, local press advisor in İzmir     
83       Kadri Gürsel, Editorial Advisor      
84       Kamuran Sunbat, DİHA Çukurova reporter (formerly) 
85       Kazım Kızıl, Kamera Sokak 
86       Kemal Sancılı, Özgür Gündem copyrights holder
87       Kenan Karavil, Radyo Dünya editor-in-chief       
88       Lokman Erdoğan, Çorum Manşet, owner 
89       Mahir Kanaat, BirGün, head of accountingn        
90       Mediha Olgun, Sözcü          
91       Mehmet Altan          
92       Mehmet Baransu, Taraf columnist/reporter       
93       Mehmet Dener, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief     
94       Mehmet Güleş, DİHA
95       Mehmet Kuru, Zaman Eskişehir reporter
96       Mehmet Özdemir, Zaman columnist         
97       Meltem Oktay, DİHA reporter        
98      Meşale Tolu, ETHA translater        
99      Mikail Barut, Özgür Halk former editor    
100     Miktat Algül, Mezitli FM General Publications Coordinator        
101     Mizgin Çay – Radyo Karacadağ     
102     Muhammet Taşçılar, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief         
103     Murat Aksoy,former Yeni Şafak columnist
104     Murat Avcıoğlu, Zaman       
105     Murat Çapan,
106     Murat Dağdeviren (Demokrat Gebze owner)      
107     Murat Sabuncu, Editor-in- Chief   
108     Musa Kart, Cartoonist         
109     Mustafa Erkan Acar, Bugün news editor  
110     Mustafa Gök, Ankara bureau chief for Ekmek ve Adalet magazine       
111     Mustafa Kemal Güngör, Cumhuriyet Foundation board member        
112     Mustafa Ünal, Zaman          
113     Mutlu Çölgeçen, Millet, newsroom coordinator   
114     Mümtazer Türköne, Zaman columnist      
115     Nadir Yücel, Çorum Yıldız (local) Editor-in-Chief
116     Nedim Türfent,DİHA
117     Nizamettin İzgi (Batman Newspaper’s owner)   
118     Nur Ener, Yeni Asya
119     Nuri Durna, TRT      
120     Nuri Yeşil, Azadiya Welat Dersim bureau chief   
121     Nurullah Kaya, G.antep Zaman representative   
122     Oğuz Güven, Cumhuriyet   
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     Rabia Özkaya, Özgür Halk  
132     Ramazan Alkan, Yeni Akit reporter
133     Resul Cengiz, Denizli reporter with Zaman          
134     Sadık Demir – Radyo Karacadağ   
135     Salih Erbekler – Radyo Karacadağ
136     Sami Tunca, Mücadele Birliği magazine Managing Editor          
137     Selman Keleş, DİHA
138     Serhat Şeftali, Zaman regional bureau chief for the Med region          
139     Serkan Aydemir, Bitlis Aktüel reporter     
140     Seyid Kılıç, TRT News         
141     Seyithan Akyüz, Azadiya Welat Adana bureau chief       
142     Sezgin Kartal, Sosyalist Dayanımşa magazine      
143     Şahabettin Demir, DİHA reporter 
144     Şahin Alpay, Zaman columnist       
145     Şeref Yılmaz, Irmak TV       
146     Şerife Oruç, DİHA reporter
147     Şirin Çoban, Azadiya Welat
148     Tahsin Kürklü, Zaman – head of Logistics Department  
149     Togay Okay, Özgür Gelecek
150     Tunca Öğreten, former Diken editor        
151     Tuncer Çetinkaya, Zaman Antalya
152     Turhan Günay, Chief Editor of Cumhuriyet supplement
153     Ufuk Şanlı, former Vatan columnist           
154     Ulaş Sezgin, ETHA reporter
155     Ünal Tanık, Rota Haber editor-in-chief     
156     Vahit Yazgan, İzmir Zaman bureau chief 
157     Vedat Beki, Sözcü 18
158     Vedat Demir, former Yarına Bakış writer 
159     Yakup Çetin, Zaman reporter        
160     Yakup Şimşek, Zaman, marketing director
161     Yalçın Güler, TRT (Erzurum)         
162     Yener Dönmez, Habervaktim news website        
163     Yetkin Yıldız, Aktif Haber website editor  
164     Yılmaz Kahraman, Özgür Halk editor       
165     Zafer Özsoy  
166     Ziya Ataman, DİHA reporter