Journalists, academics, writers and politicians are set to appear in court this week in a series of cases concerning journalism and freedom of expression in Turkey.
The first hearing in the trial of ETHA reporter Pınar Gayıp, who is being held in pretrial detention on a charge of “membership in an armed terrorist organization” and is represented by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), will be held in Istanbul.
Trials involving journalists Furkan Karabay and Barış Pehlivan will also continue this week, along with the case against Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Erol Önderoğlu and Ahmet Nesin over their participation in a solidarity campaign for the now-closed pro-Kurdish newspaper Özgür Gündem, in which supporters served symbolically as co-editors-in-chief for a day.
Monday, Sept. 14
10:15 a.m. — The first hearing in the trial of ETHA reporter Pınar Gayıp, who was detained in an operation targeting the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) and arrested on Feb. 5 on a charge of “membership in an armed terrorist organization,” will be held at Istanbul’s 23rd High Criminal Court. Gayıp is represented by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA).
The indictment cites Gayıp’s journalistic activities, demonstrations and events he covered, phone calls and financial transactions as evidence supporting the charge against him.
Tuesday, Sept. 15
9 a.m. — The sixth hearing in the trial of journalist İrfan Uçar, who is represented by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) and is charged with “membership in a terrorist organization,” will be held at the 2nd High Criminal Court in Gaziantep, a city in southeastern Turkey. (Gaziantep 2nd High Criminal Court, Case No. 2024/452 E.)
9:45 a.m. — A hearing will be held at Istanbul’s 32nd Civil Court of First Instance in a 250,000 Turkish lira nonpecuniary damages lawsuit filed against journalist Furkan Karabay following a complaint by Mustafa Doğan İnal, a former lawyer for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
10 a.m. — The first hearing in the trial of journalist Nadiye Gürbüz, who has been held in pretrial detention for seven months on a charge of “membership in a terrorist organization,” will be held at Istanbul’s 25th High Criminal Court. Gürbüz was detained and subsequently arrested in a Feb. 3, 2026, operation targeting the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP), the Socialist Women’s Assembly (SKM), the Federation of Socialist Youth Associations (SGDF), Etkin News Agency (ETHA), DİSK/Limter-İş, Polen Ecology and the Science Education Aesthetics Culture and Art Research Foundation (BEKSAV).
10 a.m. — The 17th hearing in the trial of Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı, former chair of the Central Council of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB); Erol Önderoğlu, former Turkey representative for Reporters Without Borders (RSF); and writer Ahmet Nesin will be held at Istanbul’s 13th High Criminal Court. The three are being tried on charges of “making propaganda for a terrorist organization,” “publicly inciting the commission of a crime” and “praising a crime and a criminal” over their support for a solidarity campaign for the now-closed pro-Kurdish newspaper Özgür Gündem, in which participants symbolically served as co-editors-in-chief for a day.
10:40 a.m. — The first hearing in the retrial of Burcu Özkaya Günaydın will be held at the 2nd High Criminal Court in Hatay, a province in southern Turkey. Günaydın was previously convicted of “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” over social media posts, but the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) later ruled that her right to freedom of expression had been violated. She is represented by MLSA’s Legal Unit.
Wednesday, Sept. 16
10 a.m. — A hearing in the trial of musician Ferhat Tunç, who is charged with “publicly inciting hatred and hostility,” will be held at the 4th Criminal Court of First Instance in Büyükçekmece, an Istanbul district.
10:13 a.m. — The 11th hearing in the trial of Newroz Organizing Committee members İrfan Söner, Hanife Kardaş, Mehmet Bakır, Rıza Barut, Zelal Bilgin, Yusuf Acar and Serhan Özdemir will be held at the 19th Criminal Court of First Instance in Diyarbakır, the largest city in predominantly Kurdish southeastern Turkey. They are charged with violating Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations.
Thursday, Sept. 17
10:20 a.m. — The fourth hearing in the trial of journalists Erdoğan Alayumat, Tuğçe Yılmaz, Suzan Demir, Gülcan Dereli and Kemal Taylan Abatan, translator Serap Güneş and sociologist Berfin Atlı will be held at Istanbul’s 13th High Criminal Court. They are charged with “aiding a terrorist organization” over paid news reports they contributed to the Germany-based newspaper Yeni Özgür Politika and its arts and culture supplement, PolitikArt. Alayumat is represented by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA).
11:45 a.m. — The first hearing in the trial of journalist Elif Bayburt, who has been held in pretrial detention for seven months, will be held at Istanbul’s 24th High Criminal Court. The indictment cites as evidence for a charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” Bayburt’s attendance at a hearing at Istanbul’s 22nd High Criminal Court, her leaving the district office of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district with a group of people, and her participation in a commemoration event.
11:50 a.m. — The second hearing in the trial of Can Uğur, news editor at the Cumhuriyet daily, will be held at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The case was brought under Turkey’s Disinformation Law over a June 17, 2025, Cumhuriyet news report headlined, “Was the fate of 1 million students put at risk? Allegation that LGS questions were shared in a WhatsApp group before the exam ended.” The LGS is Turkey’s nationwide high school entrance examination.
Noon — The fifth hearing in the trial of journalist Barış Pehlivan will be held at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The case was filed following a complaint by Boğaziçi University Rector Mehmet Naci İnci over Pehlivan’s Cumhuriyet column headlined, “So you’re the one protecting confidential information!” Pehlivan is charged with “publicly insulting a public official because of the performance of his duties.”
12:10 p.m. — The fifth hearing in another case against journalist Barış Pehlivan will be held at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. Pehlivan is charged with “false accusation” and “insult” following a complaint by Yüksel Kocaman, a former Ankara chief public prosecutor and current member of the Court of Cassation, over Pehlivan’s column headlined, “I am naming the killers.”
Friday, Sept. 18
10:30 a.m. — The second hearing in the trial of journalist Alican Uludağ will be held at Ankara’s 26th Criminal Court of First Instance. Uludağ is charged with “insulting the president,” “publicly disseminating misleading information” and “publicly degrading judicial bodies” over social media posts in which he shared his news reports.
