A case has been filed against journalist Bircan Değirmenci on a charge of “making propaganda for an organization” over several posts he shared on his X account in 2015.
In his defense statement at the first hearing, Değirmenci acknowledged that the posts were his but denied the charge, saying his aim had been to inform the public.
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey — An indictment prepared by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office cited four posts Değirmenci shared on his X account in 2015 as the basis for the charge. Prosecutors said the posts included images of armed people believed to be members of the organization, as well as symbols and flags believed to belong to the organization.
According to the indictment, two posts dated Dec. 9, 2015, contained images of people carrying long-barreled firearms. A March 8, 2015, post showed an image of a Newroz celebration area accompanied by the words, “Diyarbakır, İstasyon Square 1,” while a Jan. 9, 2015, post showed a person giving a speech with a flag visible in the background, prosecutors alleged.
Prosecutors argued that Değirmenci had committed the offense of “making propaganda for an organization on successive occasions,” citing the fact that the posts were made publicly and more than once, and sought his conviction and punishment.
Following the indictment prepared by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the first hearing in the case was held at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court. Diyarbakır is a major city in southeastern Turkey with a predominantly Kurdish population.
Değirmenci and his lawyer, Orhan Sıcakyüz, attended the Sept. 2 hearing. In his defense statement, Değirmenci acknowledged that the X account belonged to him and that he had made the posts in question.
He denied, however, that the posts were intended as propaganda for an organization. Değirmenci said he had worked as a journalist for about 30 years and that his purpose was to inform the public. He asked the court to acquit him.
Court adds investigation records to case file
At the hearing, the court also read an investigation and assessment report dated Nov. 22, 2024, concerning the social media posts cited in the indictment. It also added to the case file a response from the Anti-Terror Branch Directorate to an official request seeking to determine whether people appearing in some of the images were members of the organization.
Değirmenci’s lawyer, Orhan Sıcakyüz, argued that the posts had been taken out of context and should be considered as part of the news reports in their entirety. Sıcakyüz requested that an open-source investigation be conducted and said the reports should be reassessed in their original context.
Following the defense statements, the court panel issued its opinion, calling for Değirmenci to be punished.
The hearing was adjourned until 10:25 a.m. on Oct. 20 for Değirmenci to present his defense on the merits.
