Journalist Deniz Yücel to Testify in Berlin in May

Journalist Yücel, who spent one year behind bars without an indictment in Turkey and went to Germany after his release, will testify in his trial in Berlin on May 10.

Hikmet Adal

Journalist Deniz Yücel to Testify in Berlin in May

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The third session of the case of journalist Deniz Yücel, the former Turkey representative of the Die Welt newspaper, was held at the İstanbul 32th Heavy Penal Court today (April 11).

Yücel, charged with "terrorist propaganda" and "provoking the people into enmity and hatred," was not present at the court hall while his attorney Veysel Ok attended the hearing.

Ok stated that the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Ministry Communications Bureau has not received back the rogatory documents yet, demanding the hearing be adjourned to a further date after Yücel testifies.

"The rogatory documents has not come back yet but when I spoke to my client, there will be a rogatory hearing in Berlin on May 10, 2019. We demand the hearing be adjourned to a further date," Ok said.

Accepting Ok's demand, the court adjourned the hearing to July 16 at 10.50 p.m.

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)

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BIA News Desk

Hikmet Adal

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bianet's Freedom of Expression Reporter since June 2018. After interning at bianet in 2013, he took part in several bianet projects. His news reports and...

bianet's Freedom of Expression Reporter since June 2018. After interning at bianet in 2013, he took part in several bianet projects. His news reports and articles have been published on various platforms such as Expression Interrupted, susma24.com, Jıneps, Inside Turkey, and tol.org. He has contributed numerous interviews and articles on freedom of expression. His writings have been translated into several languages, including English, French, Italian, and Circassian. His photographs from the March 8, 2018 Feminist Night March were exhibited by the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality. He is the recipient of the 27th Metin Göktepe Journalism Award and holds a degree in journalism from Erciyes University.