Journalists Terkoğlu, Kılınç Arrested over Report on Killed Intelligence Officer in Libya

Both journalists are charged with obtaining and disclosing information on intelligence operations.

İstanbul

Journalists Terkoğlu, Kılınç Arrested over Report on Killed Intelligence Officer in Libya

Barış Terkoğlu and Hülya Kılınç

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Two journalists have been remanded in custody over a news report on an intelligence staff member who lost his life in Libya.

Detained at around 4 a.m. in their homes yesterday (March 4), Barış Terkoğlu, the news manager of the Odatv news site, and Hülya Kılınç, a reporter for the outlet, were remanded in custody by İstanbul 4th Judgeship of Peace later in the day.

CLICK - Odatv News Director Barış Terkoğlu Detained

Odatv said in a statement that the two journalists were detained because of a news report where the outlet claims to have acquired the footage of a National Intelligence Agency (MİT) member's funeral, which it describes as "silent and without ceremony."

What does the law say?

Article 27 of the Law on the State Intelligence Services and the National Intelligence Organization:

1. Those persons who obtain documents and information concerning the MİT's duties and operations shall receive two to eight years of imprisonment with hard labor unless the action they commit necessitates a more severe punishment.

2. If the crime specified in the previous paragraph has been committed due to simple negligence or through the facilitation of a person in possession or in the knowledge of such documents or information due to his current or former employment, the perpetrator shall be sentenced with imprisonment with hard labor for a term of one to five years.

3. The person who reveals the contents of such documents and information or discloses the documents or information themselves will be sentenced to imprisonment with hard labor for a term of no less than five years unless the crime necessitates a more severe punishment. If the crime has been committed due to the offender's negligence, the term of imprisonment shall be six months to two years.

Terkoğlu and Kılınç are charged with several intelligence-related offenses, including obtaining, disclosing and revealing documents and information about MİT's operations.

Upon an agreement with Libya's UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA), Turkey has sent soldiers and equipment to the country since January.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on February 27 that "We have three martyrs in Libya."

Defense statements

Hülya Kılınç didn't accept the charges, saying that he found the photographs in the report on social media.

"Since I learned that citizens and government officials also attended the funeral, I did not see any harm in conveying it to the press," she stated.

"I said in my statement that the family of the MİT martyr did not want to speak to me. They said, 'We don't want to make a statement,' and I respected that. But I didn't see anything that would constitute a crime in the publication of this news report."

Barış Terkoğlu, also not accepting charges, also emphasized that state officials attended the funeral and questioned what needs to remain confidential in such a funeral.

"I don't think me being a suspect here is related to this news. This news is an excuse made up to make me a defendant in these trials," he said in his statement.

About Barış Terkoğlu

The news manager of Odatv news website since 2008, journalist and writer.

He studied Mechanical Engineering at İstanbul University. He did his MA in the Department of Political History and International Relations at Marmara University Middle East Institute.

He worked as a researcher for the documentary program "Oradaydım" (I was there) from 2008 to 2010.

(TP/EKN/VK)