Tele1 Editor-in-Chief not released - will appear in court in October

Photo: Umut Çolak/VOA

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The İstanbul 30th Heavy Penal Court has not accepted the application for Merdan Yanardağ, the editor-in-chief of the Tele1 TV channel, to be released from prison.

Yanardağ was arrested on June 27 in the scope of an investigation started against him for "praising crimes and criminals" for his statements about Abdullah Öcalan in the "Four Questions - Four Answers" program on the channel.

Tele1 reported that the court has completed examining the indictment sent to the court and accepted it, but has ruled for Yanardağ to continue to be remanded in custody.

The court will discuss the custody for Yanardağ once again on August 11. The next evaluation will be made on September 8 if the custody is extended on that date.

Yanardağ will appear in court on October 4.

The prosecutor had demanded that Yanardağ should be sentenced to up to 10 years and 6 months of imprisonment for "making propaganda of a terrorist organization," and "praising crimes and criminals."

Tele1 will be blocked on July 18

On the other hand, the Radio Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) notified the broadcast suspension and the administrative fine imposed on Tele1 was notified to the channel yesterday (July 13). Broadcasts from the channel will be suspended for 7 days starting from July 18.

What happened?

Tele1 Editor-in-Chief Merdan Yanardağ had, in a program broadcast on June 20 on Tele1 TV channel said the following, implying that the Justice and Development Party (AKP) is preparing a new solution process with Abdullah Öcalan:

"When we look at the İmralı island, there is Abdullah Öcalan there who is over 70 and who is in prison for a very long time now, for over 25 years and in isolation.

"He is the political prisoner who served the longest time in Turkey. If the normal laws apply, he should in fact be released by now with measures such as house arrest, etc. The isolation that is imposed on Abdullah Öcalan cannot be explained in the legal system. This should be changed. We do not see, hear or discuss. Can he hear, or watch, we do not know.

"But you keep that man there hostage, and you negotiate with him. You make threats over him. He cannot even see his family or his lawyers. Can this be a just execution system? Abdullah Öcalan is not a person to be underestimated. He became almost a philosopher in prison because he can do nothing but read.

These expressions of Yanardağ were cut into pieces and circulated on social media. RTÜK had started an investigation and İstanbul Chief Prosecutor's office had started an investigation.

Merdan Yanardağ was taken into custody on June 27 by police coming to the Tele1 headquarters during broadcasting. He was then arrested and sent to the Silivri Prison. (VC/PE)