Turkey: CFWIJ Demands Journalist Çiğdem Toker’s Acquittal Immediately
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: September 23, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The sixth hearing of the trial against Sözcü columnist Çiğdem Toker was held in İstanbul today. was postponed to a further date due to the judge’s administrative leave. Çiğdem is on trial with a claim of 80,000 TL for moral compensation. The court adjourned the next hearing until February 1, 2022, ruling to hear witnesses statements. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) condemns the policies of intimidation against journalists. Journalists report only the truth. Defamation cases are unacceptable with unrealistic amounts. We demand the court to dismiss all charges against the journalist and acquit Çiğdem immediately. Journalism is not a crime.
The lawsuit was in retaliation to Çiğdem’s article in Sözcü Newspaper titled "Service to the Foundation from the İstanbul Municipality’s report", which revealed budgetary reports of the Istanbul Municipality. At the previous session, the case was postponed due to the judge’s leave. Today, The judge and court for her hearings have been changed. The case was taken from the Küçükçekmece 3rd Civil Court of First Instance to the 10th Civil Court of First Instance. The court ruled to hear the witness statements until the next hearing on February 1, 2022.
Çiğdem announced the change in her case on her Twitter account. The journalist said, “The court and the judge of the case have changed. The case, which was pending at the Küçükçekmece 3rd Court of First Instance, started to be heard at the 10th Civil Court of First Instance.”
Davanın mahkemesi ve hakimi değişti. Küçükçekmece 3. Asliye Mahkemesi'nde görülmekte olan dava, 10. Asliye Hukuk Mahkemesi'nde görülmeye başlandı.
— Cigdem Toker (@cigdemtoker) September 23, 2021
According to Çiğdem’s article, in the said report, the municipality provided a balance sheet of its cash and in-kind support up until the year 2018 to NGOs known to be close to the government and some of which are managed by the President’s relatives. Çiğdem Toker is being sued for 80 thousand Turkish Lira in compensation.
Following the publication of the article, on February 12th, 2019, T3 Foundation’s lawyers Abdullah Demircan and Serkan Kaya submitted a petition of complaint to İstanbul Küçükçekmece Civil Court of First Instance asking for a claim for their damages. The petition also remarked, “It is necessary to question the patriotism of the journalist who penned this article and the editors who published her article.”
The Coalition For Women In Journalism considers the defamation cases brought against journalists a despicable means to intimidate the press. Journalists are obliged to inform the public and therefore, cannot be prosecuted. We demand the authorities retract from the attempts to silence journalists through the judiciary. Çiğdem Toker is a journalist. We demand the dismissal of all groundless charges against her and the acquittal of the journalist.
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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