Nalin Öztekin
A court in the Turkish capital Ankara acquitted JINNEWS reporter Melek Avcı of charges of "terrorist organization propaganda" on Tuesday, concluding a case that had drawn criticism from press freedom advocates.
The 19th High Criminal Court of Ankara delivered the acquittal after prosecutors concluded there was no basis for criminal charges. Avcı had been on trial for social media posts that prosecutors alleged included content favorable to terrorist organizations. According to the indictment prepared by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, the posts in question included news-oriented content and posts opposing the Islamic State (ISIS), which the prosecution used to justify the charge.
Avcı did not attend the hearing, but her attorney, Şevin Kaya, was present. In her defense statement, Kaya argued that her client’s actions were clearly within the bounds of journalism. “My client shared an interview with Salih Muslim on her social media account. Even if she had conducted the interview herself, this would still fall under press freedom,” Kaya said. “As the public will recall, Mehmet Ali Birand once interviewed Abdullah Öcalan. The principle that the press is free and cannot be censored should not shift depending on the times.”
The court accepted the defense and ruled for Avcı’s acquittal.
Avcı works for JINNEWS, a Kurdish feminist news agency that often covers issues related to gender, minority rights, and conflict in southeastern Turkey, where Turkish authorities frequently prosecute journalists under broad anti-terrorism laws. Rights groups and international watchdogs have repeatedly criticized Turkey’s judicial practices in cases involving journalists, citing concerns over press freedom and due process.
