An Istanbul court has again sentenced journalist Neşe İdil to 1 year and 3 months in prison on charges of “terrorist organization propaganda,” following a retrial ordered by Turkey’s Constitutional Court, which had previously found a violation of her right to a fair trial.
The second hearing in the retrial was held at the Istanbul 22nd High Criminal Court, where judges reinstated the original sentence. The court left the path open for an appeal.
İdil is represented by the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), a legal advocacy group focusing on freedom of expression cases in Turkey. During the hearing, MLSA lawyer Didare Hazal Sümeli argued that the investigation had been launched בעקבות a complaint filed through the Presidency’s Communication Center (CİMER), a state-run platform that allows citizens to submit grievances directly to government institutions, and said this basis was unlawful.
Sümeli emphasized that İdil is a journalist and that the social media posts at the center of the case should be considered within the scope of freedom of expression. Addressing the propaganda charge, she said, “For the crime to occur, a segment of society must be mobilized. My client’s posts did not lead to such a result. Therefore, the elements of the crime have not been met.”
She also noted that at the time the posts were shared, the YPG — a Kurdish militia in northern Syria that Turkey considers linked to outlawed groups — was not officially recognized as an armed terrorist organization under Turkish case law, adding that rulings by the Court of Cassation supported this view. On these grounds, the defense requested İdil’s acquittal.
The court, however, repeated its earlier ruling and sentenced İdil to 15 months in prison.
Background
İdil was first charged in 2023 over her social media posts, accused of spreading “terrorist propaganda.” On Feb. 20, 2024, the Istanbul 22nd High Criminal Court sentenced her to 1 year and 3 months in prison and issued a deferred announcement of the verdict, a mechanism in Turkish law that can suspend the formal imposition of a sentence under certain conditions.
After an objection was rejected, MLSA’s legal team took the case to the Constitutional Court. The top court ruled that İdil’s right to a fair trial had been violated and ordered a retrial, leading to the latest proceedings.
