Turkey: CFWIJ Welcomes The Court’s Dismissal Of The Defamation Case Against Journalist Hazal Ocak
Location: Turkey, Gaziantep
Date: March 4, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
In June 2019, Cumhuriyet Newspaper reporter Hazal Ocak was sued for 20 thousand TL in financial compensation. The lawsuit followed her article titled ‘Tender Game in Şahinbey’ that exposed the corruption in Şahinbey Borough Council. The third hearing of the trial against the reporter held yesterday in İstanbul. The court dismissed the case against Hazal. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) welcomes the court verdict. We urge the judiciary to stand for the fundamental freedoms and rights of reporters. Therefore, we demand all journalists’ acquittal.
Journalist Hazal Ocak exposed illegal activity of the car park tender organized by the Şahinbey Gaziantep Borough Council in her story. She brought to light that the tender was elected before the declaration. Ocak revealed she received information regarding the corruption from her source, a council member of the Republican People's Party (CHP). The council's lawyer, Oğuzhan Çiftçi, filed a charge to the Gaziantep Civil Court of First Instance after the story was published. In his complaint, he expressed "Although the car park tender was carried out legally, the claims contained misinformation. The story was published directly to defame our municipality and gain profit." Following the request of the council, the Gaziantep Court of First Instance accepted the petition. Hazal faced a fine of 20 thousand Turkish Liras for reputational damage.
The third hearing of the case against Hazal was held yesterday at Gaziantep 6. Civil Court of First. The court verdict dismissed all the defamation charges against the journalist.
This is not the first time Hazal Ocak faced a financial compensation case. Last year, a lawsuit was filed against the journalist in October 2019 on behalf of Cengiz Holdings over allegations of defamation. The trial was in retaliation to Hazal’s article in Cumhuriyet Newspaper titled “Luxury fixture with a view of the Bosphorus”, which revealed an illegal construction project of Cengiz Holding and its chairman Mehmet Cengiz. Hazal faced a fine of 1 million Turkish Liras for reputational damage. The court also dismissed all charges against the journalist on January 26, 2021 and Hazal was acquitted.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism welcomes this decision and especially the remarks by the prosecutor which should be used as a precedent in similar cases. Defamation lawsuits are used as a way to intimidate journalists who especially work on covering stories about abuse of power and corruption. These cases are initiated by the state with claims of “defamation of judicial organs” or by businessmen and people with strong public presence alleging the work of the journalist harmed their reputation.
Since the beginning of 2021, we have already documented 37 cases of legal harassment against women journalists in Turkey and we believe these compensation cases are being used as a new tactic to intimidate journalists. We call on Turkish authorities to intervene and put an end to such acts that jeopardize the freedom of expression in Turkey.
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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.