Rabia Çetin
The trial of journalist Barış Terkoğlu and former military judge Ahmet Zeki Üçok on charges of “publicly insulting a public official in relation to their duty in a continuous manner” was postponed after the court agreed to investigate whether a former prosecutor named in the disputed news articles should be called to testify.
The fifth hearing in the case took place at Istanbul’s 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on charges stemming from two opinion pieces by Terkoğlu, titled “How well-connected FETÖ members are being saved” and “Mr. Prosecutor, I’m coming—add this article too”, published in the Cumhuriyet newspaper in April 2023. The term “FETÖ” is used by the Turkish government to refer to the Gülen movement, which it blames for the failed 2016 coup attempt.
Terkoğlu did not attend the hearing, though his lawyer Enes Hikmet Ermaner was present. Üçok and his attorney Fuat Selvi were both in the courtroom.
During his defense statement, Üçok requested that Gökalp Kökçü, a former prosecutor mentioned in the news articles, be called to testify as a witness. “There was no intent to insult. We merely reported the allegations contained in a petition Kökçü submitted to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors [HSK],” Üçok said, rejecting the charges.
Defense attorneys also asked the court to address procedural gaps in the case file. The prosecutor reiterated their earlier position, demanding the conviction of both defendants under Article 125/3-a of the Turkish Penal Code, which covers insulting a public official in the line of duty.
The court ordered the HSK to provide information on whether there are any ongoing administrative investigations into Gökalp Kökçü concerning the matters referenced in the articles. It also instructed that relevant documents be requested with respect to confidentiality.
The next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 6, 2025, at 2 p.m.
Background
In the articles at the center of the case, Terkoğlu reported that Kökçü had submitted a petition to the HSK in which he accused Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Şaban Yılmaz, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Mehmet Yılmaz, and Istanbul Anatolian Chief Prosecutor İsmail Uçar of pressuring him to close certain investigations. While Terkoğlu did not name Kökçü directly in the articles, the former prosecutor’s allegations were quoted. Üçok’s analysis was also featured in the pieces.
An indictment filed by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on June 8, 2023, listed the three senior prosecutors as “victims” and charged Terkoğlu and Üçok with “publicly insulting a public official due to their duty in a continuous manner,” under Article 125/3-a of the Turkish Penal Code.
