Journalist Deniz Yücel handed prison sentence for 'terrorist propaganda'

Photo: dpa

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Journalist Deniz Yücel has been sentenced to 2 years, 9 months and 22 days in prison for "terrorist propaganda."

The eighth hearing of the trial of the former Turkey correspondent of Germany's Die Welt newspaper was held today (July 16) at İstanbul 32nd Heavy Penal Court.

In the previous hearing on June 24, the prosecutor demanded Yücel be handed a prison sentence of up to 15 years and 3 months for "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" and "inciting the people into hatred and animosity." 

Yücel did not attend today's hearing while his attorney Veysel Ok, officials from Germany's consulate in İstanbul and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey Representative Erol Önderoğlu were present at the courtroom.

While the prosecutor's office repeated its opinion as to the accusations, attorney Ok requested the acquittal of his client.

The court acquitted Yücel of "inciting people into hatred and animosity" but sentenced him to prison for "propagandizing for the PKK/KCK (Kurdistan Workers' Party / Kurdistan Communities Union) armed terrorist organization through the media."

The court also ruled that a criminal complaint shall be filed against Yücel for "insulting the president" and "defaming the state, government, judicial organs and security organization of the Republic of Turkey" over his two articles published in 2016 in Die Welt.

While he was in prison, Yücel applied to the Constitutional Court, which ruled on June 28, 2019, that his imprisonment for "terrorist propaganda" and "inciting people into animosity and hatred" violated his personal freedom and security and freedom of expression and the press.

The top court also stated that Yücel's interview with the PKK's Cemil Bayık was within journalism.

What happened?

Kept in detention in İstanbul Security Directorate for 13 days, Die Welt newspaper reporter to Turkey Deniz Yücel was brought to İstanbul Justice Palace in Çağlayan on February 27 by İstanbul Organized Crimes Department units.
According to the report by BirGün daily, Yücel was questioned about his interview with Cemil Bayık, one of the founders of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and council member of Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) in 2015, reports about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Yüksekova and Cizre.

As the part of the same operation, Diken news site editor Tunca Öğreten, Dicle News Diyarbakır Bureau Chief editor Ömer Çelik and BirGün daily newspaper Executive Official Mahir Kanaat were arrested on January 18, 2017. Ömer Çelik was released on October 24, Kanaat and Öğreten were released on December 6, 2017.

Along with Öğreten, Çelik and Kanat, DİHA reporter Metin Yoksu, Yolculuk Newspaper Chief Editor Eray Sargın and ETHA Executive Official Derya Okatan who were detained on December 25, 2016, were released.

Covering house raids that were conducted on December 25, pro-government Sabah daily newspaper reported that Deniz Yücel's name was included as part of the investigation.

President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said:

"This man [Deniz Yılmaz] is a terrorist, not journalists and unfortunately the German government lumps my ministers together with this terrorist. The problem lies here.

"German Chancellor Angela Merkel told me 'We would be glad if you free him'. I told her he is not a journalist but a terrorist. Deniz Yücel hid in the German Consulate General. This man is a terrorist, not a journalist".

Of the other arrestees, Çelik was released in the first and Tunca was released in the second hearing.

Yücel was released on February 16 following 367 days in detention.

(HA/VK)