Journalists in State of Emergency – 96

  
The Second Chamber of the Istanbul Regional Court of Law, an appellate court,  has ruled for a retrial in the case of opposition politician and former journalist Enis Berberoğlu, who was given a 25-year sentence for his role that led to the publication of a news report in Cumhuriyet, which suggested that the Turkish government might have sent weapons to armed groups in Syria, on October. 9.
 
Berberoğlu, who is a deputy of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), was found guilty of “disclosing documents pertaining to state security that needs to remain confidential for the domestic or international benefit of the state, or for espionage purposes” in a trial regarding the Cumhuriyet newspaper’s report that featured weapon-laden trucks operated by the National Intelligence Agency (MIT) allegedly en route to Syria.
 
The court, which also overturned the prison sentence, stated that the initial ruling hadn’t established the case for “espionage.”
 
It also recalled that a sentence given to former Cumhuriyet Editor-in-Chief Can Dündar, is currently being reviewed at the Supreme Court of Appeals. The court said the court needed to wait for the outcome of the appeals process in that trial for a final verdict. It also recalled that similar photographs showing the MIT-operated trucks had been previously published in the Aydınlık newspaper.
 
The appellate court referred the case to the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court for review and retrial, yet it kept the arrest warrant for Berberoğlu in place on the grounds that he is a flight risk.
 
Prosecutor seeks 10 years for rights activists
 
The Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office has completed an indictment into ten rights activists and the head of Amnesty International Turkey.
 
Ten activists were detained on terror-related charges after attending a meeting held on Istanbul’s Büyükada island. Eight of them still remain imprisoned.
 
The prosecutor accuses Kılıç of “membership in the armed terrorist organization FETÖ” — the Fethullah Gülen network, regarded a terror group in Turkey — and seeks up to 15 years of imprisonment for him. The indictment seeks between five to ten years for the remaining activists on charges of “helping an armed terrorist organization.”
 
Rights defenders Özlem Dalkıran (Citizens’ Assembly); lawyer Nalan Erkem (Citizens’ Assembly); İlknur Üstün (Women’s Coalition); İdil Eser (Amnesty International Turkey director); Veli Acu (Human Rights Agenda Association); lawyer Günal Kurşun (Human Rights Agenda Association); Şeymus Özbekli (Rights Initiative); Nejat Taştan (Equal Rights Watch Association); Ali Gharavi (information security consultant – Swedish national); and Peter Steudtner (information security consultant – German national) were detained on July 5.
 
Two of them were released under judicial control measures and an international travel ban.
 
Atilla Taş acquitted in presidential insult trial
 
Atilla Taş, a former pop-singer and later columnist at the shuttered daily Meydan,  was acquitted in a trial where he was accused of having insulted the Turkish president, according to a tweet from his lawyer.
 
Taş was acquitted at a Büyükçekmece court on October 10.
 
He still remains imprisoned as part of a coup-related trial.
 
 
ETHA journalist to appear in court
 
The first trial in a case where shuttered Etkin News Agency (ETHA) journalist Meşale Tolu will appear before a judge for the first time will be heard on Oct. 11-12 at the 29th High Criminal Court in Istanbul. Tolu has been imprisoned since May 6.
 
Tolu, a dual Turkish-German citizen, faces 15 years in prison on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “propaganda on behalf of a terrorist organization.”
 
ETHA has called on supporters to attend the first hearing.
 
 
Journalist detained in Spain returns home
 
Swedish-Turkish journalist Hamza Yalçın, who was arrested in Spain on August 3 on a Turkey's request, returned to Sweden after Spain decided not to extradite him to Turkey.
 
Yalçın arrived in Copenhagen in Denmark on on October 6 evening, and spoke to media before taking the train back to Halmstad in south-western Sweden to be reunited with his family, the Swedish newspaper Local reported.
 
Yalçın has lived in Sweden since 1984. He was arrested by Spain on an Interpol notice issued by Turkey, where he is wanted for penning an article deemed to be insulting to the Turkish president by prosecutors and several other articles where he allegedly “spread propaganda for a terrorist organization.” He writes for the socialist magazine Odak.
 
Evrensel writer Yusuf Karataş appears before judge
 
Yusuf Karataş, who was released after spending two months in prison as part of an investigation to the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) — an umbrella network of Kurdish civil society organizations — appeared before a judge on October 9.
 
The Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court rejected the defendant’s demand for an acquittal. The trial was adjourned until January 17, 2018.
 
 
First hearing in Sözcü case slated for November 7
 
On October 6, the Istanbul 37th High Criminal Court accepted an indictment into the owner of the Sözcü newspaper, Burak Akbay; the newspaper’s İzmir correspondent Gökmen Ulu; internet edition editor Mediha Olgun and financial affairs manager Yonca Yücekaleli, Sözcü reported. 
 
Akbay risks up to 30 years in prison for “managing an armed terrorist organization and spreading its propaganda,” while the other three face up to 15 years for “helping a terrorist organization while not being a part of its hierarchical structure.”
 
The first session in the trial will be heard on November 7. Ulu is imprisoned in the investigation while an arrest order has been issued for Akbay, who is said to be abroad.
 
 
Imprisoned journalist Öğreten speaks to P24
 
 
Journalist Tunca Öğreten, who has been in prison since late 2016 for reporting on leaked emails of Turkish Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, has shared information on prison conditions and his views on his upcoming trial, in an interview with P24.
 
The journalist stands accused of assisting the terrorist organizations DHKP-C and FETÖ, while not being a member of either, for preparing news stories on the minister’s leaked emails. “I will ask the judge: Is something known to all of the 7 billion people a secret?” he told P24.
 
 
ECtHR finds Turkey violated Article 10 in journalist trial
 
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), in a ruling it announced on October 10, said that Turkey had violated Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which guarantees freedom of speech, in the case of journalist Fatih Taş, who was imprisoned for an article published in the Vesta magazine in 2004.
 
Taş was given ten months in prison for the publication of an article titled “About the Kurdish intellectual.” The sentence was given in 2008. His applications were also rejected in the appeals process.
 
The European Court ruled for Turkey to pay EUR 2500 to Taş as compensation for emotional damage and also foot the EUR 1930 bill for court expenses.
 
There are currently 169 journalists imprisoned in Turkey. The full list can be viewed here or below:
 
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 Feyzullah Özyurt
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       Burak Ekici, Birgün
33       Burçin Dokgöz, former Zaman and Çorum reporter
34       Cebrail Parıltı, Anadolu Ajansı (AA) Derik reporter
35       Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Journalists and Writers’ Foundation
36       Ceren Taşkın, Hatay'ın Sesi
37       Cuma Kaya, Zaman
38       Cuma Ulus, Millet newspaper’s publications coordinator
39       Cüneyt Seza Özkan, Samanyolu TV
40       Çağdaş Erdoğan, Photojournalist
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       Erdoğan Alayamut, Dihaber reporter
48       Erol Yüksel (TRT News Department vice president))
49       Erol Zavar, Odak magazine, owner and newsroom director
50       Fahrettin Kılıç, Özgür Toplum
51       Faruk Akkan, Cihan news agency
52       Ferhat Çiftçi, Azadiya Welat Gaziantep bureau chief
53       Fevzi Yazıcı
54       Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Türksolu columnist
55       Gökmen Ulu, Sözcü
56       Gurbet Çakar, Hevi women’s magazine
57       Gültekin Avcı
58       Habip Güler, Zaman reporter
59       Hakan Aksel, TRT producer-director
60       Hakan Ergün, Azadiya Welat and Özgür Gündem distributor
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       Hatice Duman, Atılım newspaper’s owner and managing editor
68       Hayati Yıldız, Azadiya Welat
69       Hidayet Karaca, Samanyolu Media Group President
70       Hülya Karakaya, Özgür Halk Managing Editor
71       Hüseyin Aydın, Cihan reporter
72       Hüseyin Turan, Zaman columnist
73       İbrahim Balta, Zaman business editor
74       İbrahim Kareyeğen, responsible editor for Zaman
75       İdris Okur, Cihan New Agency Çorum reporter
76       İdris Sayılgan, DİHA
77       İlker İlkan, Azadiya Welat
78       İnan Kızılkaya, Özgür Gündem Newsroom Editor
79       İsmail Avcı, Zaman
80       İsmail Efe, local press advisor in İzmir
81       Kamuran Sunbat, DİHA Çukurova reporter (formerly)
82       Kemal Özer, Evrensel
83       Kemal Sancılı, Özgür Gündem copyrights holder
84       Kenan Karavil, Radyo Dünya editor-in-chief
85       Lokman Erdoğan, Çorum Manşet, owner
86       Mahir Kanaat, BirGün, head of accountingn
87       Mehmet Ali Ay
88       Mehmet Altan
89       Mehmet Baransu, Taraf columnist/reporter
90       Mehmet Çakmakçı, Medyascope.tv reporter
91       Mehmet Dener, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief
92       Mehmet Güleş, DİHA
93       Mehmet Kuru, Zaman Eskişehir reporter
94       Mehmet Özdemir, Zaman columnist
95       Meltem Oktay, DİHA reporter
96       Meşale Tolu, ETHA translater
97       Mikail Barut, Özgür Halk former editor
98       Miktat Algül, Mezitli FM General Publications Coordinator
99       Mizgin Çay – Radyo Karacadağ
100     Muhammet Taşçılar, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief
101     Muhsin Pilgir, Zaman and Cihan news agency
102     Murat Aksoy,former Yeni Şafak columnist
103     Murat Avcıoğlu, Zaman
104     Murat Çapan,
105     Murat Çelikkan (Özgür Gündem solidarity trial)
106     Murat Dağdeviren (Demokrat Gebze owner)
107     Murat Sabuncu, Editor-in- Chief
108     Mustafa Erkan Acar, Bugün news editor,
109     Mustafa Gök, Ankara bureau chief for Ekmek ve Adalet magazine
110     Mustafa Ünal, Zaman
111     Mutlu Çölgeçen, Millet, newsroom coordinator
112     Mutlu Özay, Cihan reporter
113     Mümtazer Türköne, Zaman columnist
114     Nadir Yücel, Çorum Yıldız (local) Editor-in-Chief
115     Nedim Türfent,DİHA
116     Nizamettin İzgi (Batman Newspaper’s owner)
117     Nur Ener, Yeni Asya
118     Nuri Durna, TRT
119     Nuri Yeşil, Azadiya Welat Dersim bureau chief
120     Nurullah Kaya, G.antep Zaman representative
121     Oğuz Usluer, Habertürk former broadcasts coordinator
122     Osman Yakut, Zaman Antalya
123     Ömer Çelik, DİHA news manager
124     Ömer Faruk Aydemir, İHA editor
125     Ömer Oruç, Cihan newspaper
126     Ömer Özdemir, Antalya eski Zaman muhabiri
127     Ömer Sezgin, freelance photographer
128     Özcan Keser (TRT reporter)
129     Özkan Erdoğan, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi
130     Rabia Özkaya, Özgür Halk
131     Ramazan Alkan, Yeni Akit reporter
132     Resul Cengiz, Denizli reporter with Zaman
133     Sadık Demir – Radyo Karacadağ
134     Sait Gürka Tuzlu, Cihan reporter
135     Salih Erbekler – Radyo Karacadağ
136     Sami Tunca, Mücadele Birliği magazine Managing Editor
137     Selman Keleş, DİHA
138     Semiha Mete, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi reporter and distributor
139     Serhat Şeftali, Zaman regional bureau chief for the Med region
140     Serkan Aydemir, Bitlis Aktüel reporter
141     Serkan Erdoğan, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi
142     Seyid Kılıç, TRT News
143     Seyithan Akyüz, Azadiya Welat Adana bureau chief
144     Sezgin Kartal, Sosyalist Dayanımşa magazine
145     Şahabettin Demir, DİHA reporter
146     Şahin Alpay, Zaman columnist
147     Şeref Yılmaz, Irmak TV
148     Şerife Oruç, DİHA reporter
149     Şirin Çoban, Azadiya Welat
150     Tahsin Kürklü, Zaman – head of Logistics Department
151     Togay Okay, Özgür Gelecek
152     Tunca Öğreten, former Diken editor
153     Tuncer Çetinkaya, Zaman Antalya
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     Yasir Kaya, Fenerbahçe TV, formerly
164     Yener Dönmez, Habervaktim news website
165     Yetkin Yıldız, Aktif Haber website editor
166     Yılmaz Kahraman, Özgür Halk editor
167     Zafer Özsoy
168     Zehra Doğan, Jinha
169     Ziya Ataman, DİHA reporter