Semra Pelek
The owner of Turkish construction company Taşyapı, Emrullah Turanlı, has filed a criminal complaint against journalists Barış Terkoğlu and İrem Karataş, as well as officials from the YouTube-based outlet Cumhuriyet TV, accusing them of “insult via the press,” “defamation via the press,” and “public dissemination of misleading information.”
The allegations stem from a news report aired on June 13 on the Cumhuriyet TV YouTube channel. The segment, which featured commentary by journalist Barış Terkoğlu and footage presented by İrem Karataş, reported that Turanlı’s company was attempting to evict residents from their homes in connection with a controversial construction project in Etiler, a high-end district on the European side of Istanbul.
According to the complaint, filed through Turanlı’s lawyers with the Press Crimes Bureau of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the report constituted an attack on Turanlı’s personal rights and damaged the commercial reputation of Taşyapı. The complaint argues that the broadcast included statements that amounted to defamation and the spreading of false information to the public and calls for a criminal case to be launched against the journalists.
Barış Terkoğlu is expected to testify regarding the complaint on Monday.
Background on the Etiler project
The Cumhuriyet TV report in question focused on a Taşyapı project on Toprakkale Street in Istanbul’s Etiler neighborhood. According to the broadcast, the company purchased one apartment in each building on a block that also houses a hotel allegedly constructed in violation of zoning regulations. Taşyapı then used its status as a title holder to initiate a process of collecting core samples and launching an urban transformation (kentsel dönüşüm) project.
Residents were reportedly presented with a redevelopment plan that would take four years to complete, but were not told how large their new apartments would be. Additionally, tree cutting began in the green area designated for the project. According to residents, the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality intervened and halted the cutting after the issue was publicized on Cumhuriyet TV.
Who is Emrullah Turanlı?
Emrullah Turanlı is the owner of Taşyapı Construction, a firm known for securing numerous public contracts during the rule of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). The company was previously involved in a controversial development in Istanbul’s Şişli district — dubbed “Şişli’s Kanal Istanbul” — which was halted by the Şişli Municipality after irregularities were found.
Turanlı’s company has previously filed complaints against other media outlets. A complaint to Turkey’s media regulator RTÜK against opposition broadcaster Halk TV resulted in the channel being fined.
The case adds to growing concerns over press freedom in Turkey, where journalists are frequently targeted with legal action over critical reporting on politically connected business interests.
