- A case has been filed against journalist Evrim Deniz, who reported that the owners of the company undertaking the construction of a police station in the Hesandin Plateau in Diyarbakır were being tried on charges within the scope of “organized crime.”
- Deniz, who is being tried following the complaint of the company owners, said the information subject to the charges was publicly available in the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette.
Hilal Yağız
İzmir - Journalist Evrim Deniz is on trial on charges of “unlawfully giving or obtaining personal data” over a news report published on Bianet titled “Gang suspect is building a police station.” While the main case is being heard at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, Deniz’s statement was taken via judicial instruction at the Izmir 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
Deniz stated in his statement that he was carrying out journalistic activity, saying, “The information included in the report is publicly available in the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette. I did not obtain this information secretly or through illegal means.”
Deniz’s lawyer stated that the defense statements would be made in the main case file.
The main hearing of the case will be held on June 23 at 11:00 a.m. at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.
Indictment: Identity information made the subject of charges
The indictment stated that the news report published on May 28, 2025 included information belonging to the complainants. It was expressed that this information was shared through visuals of the indictment and that it had the nature of “personal data.”
The prosecution argued that publishing the said information as a whole was unlawful. In the indictment, it was requested that Deniz be punished for the charge of “unlawfully giving or obtaining personal data.”
It was also emphasized in the indictment that internet news sites are considered periodical publications and that criminal responsibility in such publications belongs to the author.
It was recorded that in his defense statement, Deniz said he obtained the information from the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette and that it was public, but the prosecution did not find this defense sufficient.
About the case
The investigation against Evrim Deniz was launched over a report regarding a police station planned to be built in the Hesandin Plateau in the Kulp district of Diyarbakır, in southeastern Turkey.
The report was about the ecological struggle carried out by six villages in the region for approximately 17 years against mining companies. The company operating in the area, Kulp Madencilik ve Dış Ticaret Joint Stock Company, had previously come to the agenda with a “no Environmental Impact Assessment required” decision.
According to records in the Turkish Trade Registry Gazette, Mehmet Emin Eren and Mehmet Nesim Eren are on the company’s board of directors. The report stated that both names are being tried on allegations of robbery and attempted murder against Kerim Diler, the doctor of Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, and some businesspeople.
Following this report, a case was filed against Evrim Deniz on the charge of “unlawfully giving or obtaining personal data” upon the complaint of the company owners.
