Journalists in State of Emergency – 103

 
 
The first hearing in the retrial of Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Enis Berberoğlu, who is imprisoned over a news report published in the Cumhruiyet newspaper, was heard on December 1 at the 2nd Chamber of the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice.
 
The prosecutor asked for life for Berberoğlu, on charges of “disclosing secret information vital to state security or to the domestic or foreign political benefit of the state for political or military espionage purposes.”
 
Berberoğlu was initially tried along with Cumhuriyet Editor-in-Chief Can Dündar and Ankara Bureau Chief Erdem Gül over a report that suggested that Turkish intelligence units sent arms to jihadi groups in Syria. The cases of the other journalists were later separated and Berberoğlu was given 25 years in prison on June 14, 2017 on the same charge as the prosecutor cited in the retrial.
 
That ruling was overruled by an appellate court, which ruled for a retrial.
 
The next hearing in the case will be heard on January 16.
 
TRT World editor’s suspicious death
 
Istanbul police have said the 29 November death of a TRT World editor looked suspicious.
 
Yasmine Ryan, who worked for the state owned TRT World network, died after falling off of the fifth story of a building at around 2:20 am. She was visiting the apartment of a friend, reports said.
 
The 34-year old New Zealander’s body was autopsied at  the Council of Forensic Medicine. Police have also interrogated her friend, who reportedly said she found an open window in Ryan’s room after waking up to screams.
 
First hearing in Çağdaş Erdoğan case on 13 February
 
The first hearing in the trial of Çağdaş Erdoğan, who is a journalist and art photographer, will be heard on 13 February 2018. Erdoğan stands accused of membership in the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), officially considered a terrorist organization in Turkey, and spreading propaganda for it.
 
The Istanbul 33th High Criminal Court will hear the case. He was arrested on September 13 after photographing a National Intelligence Agency (MİT) building. For both of the charges, the evidence put forth in the indictment consists of Erdoğan’s social media posts.

Constitutional Court to hear Mehmet Altan’s application
 
The Constitutional Court will review an  application from journalist Mehmet Altan on 5 December.
 
Mehmet Altan was arrested in September 2016 on charges related the coup attempt of 15 July. He applied to the Constitutional Court on the grounds that his right to free speech was violated and that his incarceration has been unlawful.
 
The court will review his application on the basis of admissibility and substance. It is not known yet if the Court will combine Mehmet Altan’s case with that of his older brother Ahmet Altan’s. The elder Altan was arrested on 23 September 2016, a day after Mehmet Altan. Both brothers applied to the Constitutional Court on 8 November 2016.
 
The Ministry of Justice in its written response to the Constitution Court had combined the Altan brothers’ cases and the lawyers say that the Court might follow suit.
 
 
Journalists fined TL 100,000 over report
 
On November 30, a Turkish court fined Özgür Gündem newspaper’s former editor-in-chief Eren Keskin and Managing Editor Reyhan Çapan TL 100,000 (USD 25,443) regarding a news report published in the newspaper on 16 October 2015.
 
The story concerned Murat Sancak, the owner of the government-aligned Star newspaper.
 
The total of fines issued to Keskin has reached TL 355,920. Most of these stem from charges of “insulting the president.”
 
 
Bas newspaper stops publishing
 
The weekly newspaper Bas, a bilingual publication, announced on 27 November that it would no longer exist.
 
A joint letter by the Bas Media Group Owner Botan Tahseen and Bas Editor-in-Chief Hamiyet Çelebi stated that strained ties between Arbil and Ankara had made it “impossible” for the newspaper to continue.
 
 
Investigation into journalists for visiting Nagorno Karabakh
 
Turkish authorities have launched an investigation into four individuals, including journalists Ali Bayramoğlu and Erol Katırcıoğlu, for visiting the disputed the Nagorno Karabakh region, which is currently under Armenian control.
 
The other two who visited the region are politician Ufuk Uras and writer Sait Çetinoğlu. Azerbaijan earlier announced it had launched an investigation into the four men. Recently, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said an investigation was also launched in Turkey, adding that he was saddened by the visit to Karabagh which occurred outside the knowledge of the foreign ministry.
 
 
 
List of journalists in prison
 
1          Abdulkadir Turay, DİHA reporter
2          Abdullah Kılıç, Habertürk
3          Abdullah Özyurt, Zaman reporter
4          Abdulvahap İş (Freelance journalist)
5          Ahmet Altan
6          Ahmet Feyzullah Özyurt
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 Ünal, Zaman columnist
19        Ali Yüce, TRT Radio broadcasts chief
20        Arafat Dayan, Demokratik Ulus
21        Aslı Ceren Aslan, Özgür Gelecek
22        Ayhan Demir, Çaldıran News Agency
23        Ayşe Nazlı Ilıcak
24        Ayşenur Parıldak, Zaman, Haberdar
25        Aytekin Gezici, journalist/writer
26        Aziz İstegün, Diyarbakır Zaman representative
27        Bayram Kaya, Zaman reporter
28        Behram Kılıç
29        Beytullah Özdemir, Zaman Düzce bureau chief
30        Burak Ekici, Birgün
31        Burçin Dokgöz, former Zaman and Çorum reporter
32        Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Journalists and Writers’ Foundation
33        Ceren Taşkın, Hatay'ın Sesi
34        Cuma Kaya, Zaman
35        Cuma Ulus, Millet newspaper’s publications coordinator
36        Cüneyt Seza Özkan, Samanyolu TV
37        Çağdaş Erdoğan, Photojournalist
38        Deniz Yücel, Die Welt
39        Emin Demir, Freelancer
40        Emre Soncan, Zaman defense reporter
41        Ercan Gün, Fox TV
42        Erdal Süsem, Eylül magazine editor
43        Erdal Şen, former Meydan managing editor
44        Erdoğan Alayamut, Dihaber reporter
45        Erol Yüksel (TRT News Department vice president))
46        Erol Zavar, Odak magazine, owner and newsroom director
47        Fahrettin Kılıç, Özgür Toplum
48        Faruk Akkan, Cihan news agency
49        Ferhat Çiftçi, Azadiya Welat Gaziantep bureau chief
50        Fevzi Yazıcı
51        Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu, Türksolu columnist
52        Gurbet Çakar, Hevi women’s magazine
53        Gültekin Avcı
54        Habip Güler, Zaman reporter
55        Hakan Aksel, TRT producer-director
56        Hakan Ergün, Azadiya Welat and Özgür Gündem distributor
57        Hakan Taşdelen
58        Halil İbrahim Mert, TRT (Erzurum)
59        Hamit Dilbahar, Azadiya Welat columnist
60        Hamza Günerigök, TRT
61        Hanım Büşra Erdal, Zaman reporter and columnist
62        Hasan Duman, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi distributor
63        Hatice Duman, Atılım newspaper’s owner and managing editor
64        Havva Cuştan, ETHA reporter
65        Hayati Yıldız, Azadiya Welat
66        Hidayet Karaca, Samanyolu Media Group President
67        Hüseyin Aydın, Cihan reporter
68        Hüseyin Turan, Zaman columnist
69        İbrahim Balta, Zaman business editor
70        İbrahim Kareyeğen, responsible editor for Zaman
71        İdris Okur, Cihan New Agency Çorum reporter
72        İdris Sayılgan, DİHA
73        İsmail Avcı, Zaman
74        İsmail Efe, local press advisor in İzmir
75        İsmail Ersan, Anatolia news agency
76        İsminaz Temel, ETHA editor
77        Kamuran Sunbat, DİHA Çukurova reporter (formerly)
78        Kemal Özer, Evrensel
79        Kenan Karavil, Radyo Dünya editor-in-chief
80        Mahir Kanaat, BirGün, head of accountingn
81        Mehmet Ali Ay
82        Mehmet Altan
83        Mehmet Baransu, Taraf columnist/reporter
84        Mehmet Dener, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief
85        Mehmet Güleş, DİHA
86        Mehmet Gündem
87        Mehmet Kuru, Zaman Eskişehir reporter
88        Mehmet Özdemir, Zaman columnist
89        Meltem Oktay, DİHA reporter
90        Meşale Tolu, ETHA translater
91        Mikail Barut, Özgür Halk former editor
92        Miktat Algül, Mezitli FM General Publications Coordinator
93        Mizgin Çay – Radyo Karacadağ
94        Muhammet Taşçılar, Şanlıurfa.com editor-in-chief
95        Muhsin Pilgir, Zaman and Cihan news agency
96        Murat Avcıoğlu, Zaman
97        Murat Çapan,
98        Murat Dağdeviren (Demokrat Gebze owner)
99        Murat Sabuncu, Editor-in- Chief
100      Mustafa Erkan Acar, Bugün news editor,
101      Mustafa Gök, Ankara bureau chief for Ekmek ve Adalet magazine
102      Mustafa Ünal, Zaman
103      Mutlu Çölgeçen, Millet, newsroom coordinator
104      Mutlu Özay, Cihan reporter
105      Mümtazer Türköne, Zaman columnist
106      Nadir Yücel, Çorum Yıldız (local) Editor-in-Chief
107      Nedim Türfent,DİHA
108      Nizamettin İzgi (Batman Newspaper’s owner)
109      Nuh Gönültaş
110      Nur Ener, Yeni Asya
111      Nuri Durna, TRT
112      Nuri Yeşil, Azadiya Welat Dersim bureau chief
113      Nurullah Kaya, G.antep Zaman representative
114      Oğuz Usluer, Habertürk former broadcasts coordinator
115      Osman Yakut, Zaman Antalya
116      Ömer Faruk Aydemir, İHA editor
117      Ömer Oruç, Cihan newspaper
118      Özcan Keser (TRT reporter)
119      Özkan Erdoğan, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi
120      Rabia Özkaya, Özgür Halk
121      Ramazan Alkan, Yeni Akit reporter
122      Resul Cengiz, Denizli reporter with Zaman
123      Sadık Demir – Radyo Karacadağ
124      Sait Gürka Tuzlu, Cihan reporter
125      Salih Erbekler – Radyo Karacadağ
126      Sami Tunca, Mücadele Birliği magazine Managing Editor
127      Semiha Mete, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi reporter and distributor
128      Serhat Şeftali, Zaman regional bureau chief for the Med region
129      Serkan Aydemir, Bitlis Aktüel reporter
130      Serkan Erdoğan, Özgürlükçü Demokrasi
131      Seyid Kılıç, TRT News
132      Seyithan Akyüz, Azadiya Welat Adana bureau chief
133      Şahabettin Demir, DİHA reporter
134      Şahin Alpay, Zaman columnist
135      Şeref Yılmaz, Irmak TV
136      Şerife Oruç, DİHA reporter
137      Tahsin Kürklü, Zaman – head of Logistics Department
138      Togay Okay, Özgür Gelecek
139      Tunca Öğreten, former Diken editor
140      Tuncer Çetinkaya, Zaman Antalya
141      Ufuk Şanlı, former Vatan columnist
142      Ünal Tanık, Rota Haber editor-in-chief
143      Vahit Yazgan, İzmir Zaman bureau chief
144      Yakup Çetin, Zaman reporter
145      Yakup Şimşek, Zaman, marketing director
146      Yalçın Güler, TRT (Erzurum)
147      Yasir Kaya, Fenerbahçe TV, formerly
148      Yener Dönmez, Habervaktim news website
149      Yetkin Yıldız, Aktif Haber website editor
150      Yılmaz Kahraman, Özgür Halk editor
151      Zafer Özsoy
152      Zehra Doğan, Jinha
153      Ziya Ataman, DİHA reporter