The second hearing in the trial of journalists Gözde Şeker and İbrahim Kahveci, who face charges of “insult” and “slander” over their coverage of the murder of Sinan Ateş following a complaint filed by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli, was held. The prosecutor sought their acquittal on the slander charges but called for their conviction on the insult charges. The court granted the journalists additional time to prepare their defense statements.
Büşra Genel
A prosecutor has sought the acquittal of journalists Gözde Şeker and İbrahim Kahveci on slander charges but called for their conviction on insult charges in a case brought following a complaint by Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) leader Devlet Bahçeli over their coverage of the murder of Sinan Ateş, a former leader of the party’s youth wing.
The prosecutor presented the opinion on the merits during the journalists’ second hearing at the Ankara 57th Criminal Court of First Instance.
Şeker’s lawyer, Emine Bozyörük, and Kahveci’s lawyer, Zeynep Demir, attended the hearing.
After the judge asked whether the prosecution’s opinion on the merits was ready, the prosecutor submitted it to the court, seeking the journalists’ acquittal on slander charges under Article 267/1 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) but their conviction on charges of “insult through an audio, written or visual message.”
The journalists’ lawyers requested additional time to prepare their defense statements in response to the prosecutor’s opinion. The court granted the request and adjourned the hearing until Dec. 1, 2026, at 11:10 a.m.
Background of the case
Bahçeli, leader of the MHP, a nationalist party in Turkey, filed a criminal complaint through his lawyer on June 12, 2024.
The complaint stemmed from remarks made by Şeker and Kahveci about Bahçeli and the MHP during an episode of Kırmızı Çizgi (Red Line), a program Şeker hosted at the time on broadcaster Halk TV.
Bahçeli alleged that the journalists’ comments contained insults and slander directed at him and his party.
The journalists were subsequently charged with “insult through an audio, written or visual message” under Articles 125/2, 125/3-a and 125/4 of the Turkish Penal Code, as well as slander under Article 267/1.
The case was heard at the Ankara 52nd Criminal Court of First Instance. As part of the proceedings, a hearing was held on Sept. 16, 2026, at the Istanbul Anadolu 38th Criminal Court of First Instance to take testimony under a judicial assistance request.
The indictment, prepared by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on Oct. 14, 2024, included excerpts from the journalists’ remarks during the program. Prosecutors alleged that Şeker and Kahveci had made statements damaging Bahçeli’s honor, dignity and reputation.
In her statement to prosecutors on Aug. 14, 2024, Şeker denied the allegations, saying she had worked as a journalist for 20 years and that her comments were consistent with journalistic principles and did not constitute insults.
Kahveci, in his statement on Sept. 17, 2024, argued that his remarks were protected under freedom of thought and expression. He maintained that he had not targeted any particular individual.
The comments at the center of the case followed a speech Bahçeli delivered at an MHP parliamentary group meeting in the Turkish Grand National Assembly on June 11, 2024. During the speech, Bahçeli addressed the murder of Sinan Ateş and the public controversy surrounding the killing.
The indictment against Şeker and Kahveci was returned four times by three different courts on various grounds.
The courts cited deficiencies including the failure to obtain a report from Turkey’s Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), the country’s broadcasting regulator, and the indictment’s failure to clearly identify which specific remarks by the journalists formed the basis of each charge.
After a process involving repeated returns that lasted approximately a year, the indictment was accepted on March 5, 2026.
