Journalist Indicted Without Being Informed

Journalist Mehmet Baransu from Taraf newspaper is subject of an investigation by the Kadıköy Public Prosecutor's Office because of his news item about an "Anti-Reactionary Plan" allegedly prepared within the army. Baransu said that if the investigation should be turned into a trial, he is going to present documents to the court which will prove the allegations wrong.

The "Anti-Reactionary Plan" lays out strategies to defame the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the religious Fethullah Gülen movement.

The General Staff started an investigation on the grounds of their complaint after the journalist had published the news on 12 June this year. Baransu told bianet that he did not receive any information about his being trialed.

"If a court case is opened, I will present two documents"

Brigadier General Hıfzı Çubuklu, Legal Advisor of the General Staff, announced on 11 September that a court case has been opened against Baransu because of publishing the documents.

Journalist Baransu knew that he was subject of an investigation on account of "publicly insulting the military forces". Nevertheless he had not obtained any information about a court case being opened against him: "The prosecutor's office carrying out the investigation may have informed the General Staff" Baransu assumed.

The journalist said that the file of the investigation conducted on the grounds of article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) was sent to the Ankara Ministry of Justice on 12 August.

Baransu explained: "They say the document my news was based on is a fraud because the General Staff allegedly does not use terms like 'black propaganda'. I have two documents in hand which have been issued by the General Staff. They are original and it is proven from which computer they have been issued. They include terms like 'black propaganda' and 'psychological operations are done within the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). If it is correct that a case has been opened, I will present these two documents to the court to my defense".

Also Ankara Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation

The Military Prosecutor's Office determined that the documents were not prepared within the General Staff and declared that they have sent the file to the judicial prosecution in order to investigate who prepared the documents. The Ankara Office of the Director of Public Prosecution conducts a further investigation to find out who caused the leak regarding the documents evolving outside the General Staff.

Dursun Çiçek, Colonel of the Naval Staff, filed a criminal complaint against Baransu because of the journalist's claim that Çiçek's signature is on one of the documents. The criminal complaint also concerns the Vatan newspaper staff on allegations of "forgery of the document, publishing a counterfeit document and violating a decision of confidentiality".

TCK article 301

Baransu is charged under article 301/2 of the TCK entitled "Insulting the Turkish People, Republic of Turkey and Governmental Institutions and Bodies": (2) The person who publicly insults military organizations or the police organizations of state is inflicted imprisonment for between six months and two years". (EÖ/VK)