Eylem Sonbahar
Journalists Barış Pehlivan and Ozan Alper Yurtoğlu were acquitted of charges of “insulting the president” and “insulting a public official” over an article describing a controversial political brochure published by Turkey’s main opposition party, the Republican People's Party (CHP).
The 12th hearing of the case was held at the 15th Criminal Court of First Instance in Istanbul. Pehlivan, the author of the article in question, did not attend, but his lawyers Enes Hikmet Ermaner and Özge Naz Akkaya were present. Yurtoğlu, who served as the managing editor of Cumhuriyet newspaper at the time of publication, also faced charges in the case.
The article, published on October 12, 2021, was titled “Here is CHP’s brochure” and discussed a CHP-produced pamphlet titled “SaBıKa Holding: A Story of Dirty Money – Politics – Judiciary”, a play on the Turkish word “sabıka” (criminal record) and “holding” (corporation). The brochure alleged ties between political power, judicial actors, and organized crime, particularly focusing on the case of businessman Sezgin Baran Korkmaz, who has faced money laundering charges in Turkey and the United States.
In a previous hearing on January 16, 2025, the prosecutor had reiterated his demand for conviction, claiming the article included statements that were “offensive to the dignity, honor, and reputation” of the complainants, citing phrases like “took bribes, laundered dirty money, captured the judiciary and fled.”
An attorney representing former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, one of the complainants, argued during the trial that Pehlivan had repeatedly targeted his client with what he described as non-journalistic attacks. “These cannot be considered journalism,” the lawyer said, demanding punishment for both defendants.
Pehlivan’s lawyer Enes Hikmet Ermaner requested the case be dismissed on procedural grounds, arguing that it had not been filed within the four-month statute of limitations set by Turkish press law. “Whether the complainants accept it or not, my client is a journalist. We request acquittal,” he stated.
Defense lawyer Özge Naz Akkaya emphasized that the brochure in question was created by the CHP, not by the journalists on trial. “Our client did not write or distribute the brochure. Moreover, others who were tried for preparing the brochure were acquitted. There is a clear public interest in this news content, and the elements of the alleged crimes are not present,” she said.
Ultimately, the court acquitted both Barış Pehlivan and Ozan Alper Yurtoğlu of the charges of insulting the president and insulting public officials.
Background of the case
The indictment named several high-ranking Turkish officials as complainants, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; former Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu; Egemen Bağış, a former minister and current ambassador to the Czech Republic; former Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım; Council of State member Esat Toklu; Constitutional Court member İrfan Fidan; Court of Cassation member Tekmen Savaş Nemli; Deputy Justice Minister Hasan Yılmaz; Presidential Defense Industry Chair İsmail Demir; and Presidential Adviser Korkmaz Karaca.
