Turkey: CFWIJ Demands Müyesser Yildiz’s Acquittal Immediately
Location: Turkey, Ankara
Date: February 6, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
OdaTV News Director Müyesser Yıldız and TELE1 Ankara Representative İsmail Dukel were tried in the third hearing yesterday in Ankara. The prosecutor sought a sentence of 31 years in prison for all the defendants over espionage charges. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the prosecutor's request and demands the journalists’ acquittal immediately. Journalism is not a crime.
The third hearing of the trial against OdaTV Ankara News Director Müyesser Yıldız, TELE 1 Ankara Representative İsmail Dukel and Non-commissioned officer Erdal Baran was held yesterday at Ankara 26th High Criminal Court. All the defendants and their lawyers were present in the court.
At the hearing, the prosecutor sought a sentence of 31 years in prison for all the defendants over charges of "disclosing information that should remain confidential for the security or benefits of the state" and "providing information on the security of the state".
According to the Sözcü Newspaper, media ombudsman Faruk Bildirici appeared as a witness in the court. Faruk Bildirici stated that the interviews between the defendants did not constitute confidentiality and there was no information exchange in most of the interviews.
According to P24, Faruk Bildirici said most of the information provided was previously in open sources. “Neither Müyesser Yıldız nor İsmail Dükel has a financial tie with Erdal Baran. There is no relationship other than journalism. Not even a friendship. Maintaining this relationship is about press freedom," he added.
After the media ombudsman, the prosecutor stated Erdal Baran transferred the information he obtained in various ways to Müyesser and İsmail and the journalists revealed the information in their coverages.
The prosecutor demanded all the defendants be sentenced to 31 years and 6 months in prison. The court gave the defence attorneys time to prepare final statements The next hearing will be held on March 8, 2021.
At the first hearing of the trial against journalist Müyesser Yıldız was held on November 9, 2020, the prosecution sought a sentence of 17 years in prison, alleging the journalist disclosed information that should remain confidential in terms of the security or benefits of the state. Müyesser, who was detained for 155 days, was released after the first hearing.
At the second hearing, the court revealed a new indictment was prepared in December 2020. In the new indictment, the journalists also faced the charge of repeatedly providing confidential information about state security. The new charges were merged with the initial case file.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in solidarity with the journalists who are facing unfair charges over their journalistic activities. Informing the public is the fundamental obligation of journalism. None of the journalists should be tried for this matter. We condemn the prison sentence demanded by the prosecutor against Müyesser Yıldız, and demand the journalists to be acquitted immediately. We reiterate the Turkish authorities that journalism is 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.
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