Turkey: CFWIJ Condemns The Trial Against Journalist Nurcan Yalçin And Demands Her Acquittal

Location: Turkey, Diyarbakir
Date: Demecber 14, 2020

Available in: 🇹🇷  Türkçe

The first hearing of the case against journalist Nurcan Yalçın was held at the Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court. The journalist faces charges of being affiliated with a terrorist organization and spreading propaganda of a terrorist group. The charges fall within the scope of the investigation launched against the Rosa Women's Association. The court decided to hear the secret witnesses at the next hearing and requested to retrieve the missing points in the case file. The second hearing will be held on March 3, 2021. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the lawsuit filed against Nurcan and demands the journalist's acquittal.

Among the shreds of evidence brought against Nurcan Yalçın’s lawsuit was a secret witness statement claiming to be a senior officer of the Rosa Women’s Association, a membership certificate and her social media posts.

During the hearing, the court president inquired about the validity of Nurcan’s press credentials. Nurcan asserted that she is a journalist and has a press identification card from the news outlet she works for. In her defence, the journalist said that she is a member of the Rosa Women's Association to support their campaigns. Nurcan added that she has no links to Kongra Jinen Azad / Free Women Congress (KJA), nor Tevgera Jinên Azad (TJA) women's organization. Nurcan emphasized that the Rosa Women's Association had never been involved in any illegal activity and has no affiliation to an illegal organization. She refused all of the confidential witness statements against her.

In addition to her defence, Nurcan underlined that some of the posts she shared on her social media account, which she had previously deactivated, were brought against her as evidence of a crime. She explained the people in the photos shown as criminal evidence were her relatives, affirming she did not make propaganda for the organization.

Referring to the question about whether his client has valid press credentials, Resul Temur, Nurcan’s, pointed out that the official press card does not define journalism in the profession. He reminded the court that the card is mainly used for accreditation in official institutions.

He added that the secret witness also confirmed that his client was a journalist. The lawyer underlined that the photographic identification made by the anonymous witness about his client is contrary to the Law on Powers of Police (PSVK). He stated the confidential witness statements are not based on the facts and therefore cannot be taken into consideration for the judgment.

Though there was no evidence of a crime, the membership form seized during the Rosa Women’s Association search was included as evidence in the lawsuit. Resul Temur asked the court to investigate the association’s activities since its establishment.

Nurcan’s other lawyer, Pirozhan Karali, requested that the statements made by the witness against the Rosa Women's Association should be included in the case file. Meanwhile, the court president interrupted Karali's speech and asked him to finish his defence. The president said that he would decide on the request after hearing the witness’ statement. The lawyers informed the court that they will object to the hearing of the witness without them.

Announcing its interim decision, the court rejected the requests to include the statements of the association and to investigate their activities. The court also rejected the request for the witness to testify in open court, because the identity of the witness would be exposed. The court decided to hear the witness at a closed, interim hearing. The defendant's lawyers were given 10 days to prepare the questions they wanted to ask the witness and present them to the court. The next hearing will be held on March 3, 2021.

CFWIJ condemns the attempts to silence journalists through legal prosecution. The manipulation of social media posts as criminal evidence brought against the journalist does not reflect any truth. Informing the public is the fundamental duty of a journalist and should not be impeded by the judicial system. We urge the authorities to end their tactics of legal harassment as a way to silence journalists. Journalism is a career, not a crime.

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The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org

The Coalition For Women In Journalism closely monitors the incidents in Turkey with great concern. Since March 8, Women's Day, police violence against women journalists increasingly continues in the country. As the coalition, we urge the Turkish state to provide a free environment for journalists. Following the news is our most fundamental democratic right to report. We demand the immediate release of our detained colleagues. Journalism is not a crime. Journalism cannot be prevented.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.