Journalists, university students and artists will face trial in various Turkish cities this week on charges linked to freedom of expression, press rights, and participation in protests. Court hearings are scheduled to take place in Istanbul, Diyarbakır, Bitlis, Ankara and Adıyaman.
October 13, Monday
At 10 a.m., T24 reporter Can Öztürk and 14 students from Boğaziçi University will appear before the Istanbul 69th Criminal Court of First Instance. They are charged with violating Turkey’s Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations after protesting a campus speech by Nurettin Yıldız, a controversial Islamist preacher known for defending child marriages. Five of the defendants were jailed for two weeks following their initial detention.
At 1 p.m., journalist Yıldız Tar, represented by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), will face his first hearing at a High Criminal Court on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization.” The case is based on Tar’s involvement in the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), a pro-Kurdish civil society platform, and statements made during its events.
October 14, Tuesday
At 9:05 a.m., journalist Mehmet Şah Oruç will be tried at the Bitlis 2nd High Criminal Court. He was detained as part of a broader investigation launched in Diyarbakır on April 25, 2023, and is charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” and “spreading terrorist propaganda.”
At 9:20 a.m., the trial of seven individuals arrested for protesting events at Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) on March 19 will continue at the Ankara 30th Criminal Court of First Instance. The group is accused of violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations.
At 10 a.m., Ahmet Kanbal, a reporter for Mezopotamya Agency, will appear before the Adıyaman 5th Criminal Court of First Instance. He is charged with “publicly disseminating misleading information” under Article 217/A of the Turkish Penal Code for remarks he made during live broadcasts in the aftermath of the February 2023 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş.
At 10:30 a.m., the Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court will hear the first session in the retrial of journalist Murat Aksoy, who is accused of “knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization.”
At 11:15 a.m., artist Ferhat Tunç will be tried at the Istanbul Büyükçekmece 14th Criminal Court of First Instance on charges of “insulting the president” in social media posts.
At 11:35 a.m., Yeni Yaşam newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Ferhat Çelik and Managing Editor Osman Akın will appear before the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. They face “defamation” and “insult” charges following a complaint by Serhat Albayrak, the brother of Turkey’s former finance minister and a senior executive at pro-government media group Turkuvaz.
October 16, Thursday
At 10:40 a.m., the second hearing in the trial of social media user Bekir Aslan—known online as “Basel”—will take place at the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court. Aslan is charged with “spreading terrorist propaganda” based on his online posts.
At 11 a.m., journalist Berivan Kutlu will stand trial for the first time at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court. The charges stem from her televised comments following the February 6, 2023, earthquakes, in which she claimed that “instead of search and rescue operations, evidence is being destroyed.” She is accused of “spreading terrorist propaganda.”
October 17, Friday
At 10 a.m., members of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) and officials from the Association for Solidarity with Families of Detainees (TUAD) will be tried at the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court. They are charged with “membership in a terrorist organization” and “spreading terrorist propaganda.”
