Suit for Damages Against Cumhuriyet: Businessperson Requests 1 Million Lira

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Mehmet Cengiz, the Chair of Cengiz Holding Executive Board, has filed a lawsuit for non-pecuniary damages against daily Cumhuriyet due to the article "Luxurious Outbuilding with a View to Bosphorus".

Cengiz has requested 1 million Turkish Lira (TRY) from Alev Coşkun, the Grant Holder of the newspaper and the Chair of Cumhuriyet Foundation, and reporter Hazal Ocak, who reported the news in question.

After the article was published on Cumhuriyet on October 6, Ahmet Mutlu, the lawyer of Cengiz, submitted a petition to the İstanbul Anatolian Civil Court of First Instance one day later on October 7.

In his petition to the court, Mutlu requested 1 million TRY in non-pecuniary damages, alleging that "they committed a tortious act through press." The lawyer also indicated that "such news cause irreparable damage to the credibility and reputation of Mehmet Cengiz."

The first hearing of the case will be held at the İstanbul Anatolian 14th Civil Court of First Instance on January 8, 2020.

Önderoğlu: It can destroy the newspaper

Speaking to bianet, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Representative to Turkey Erol Önderoğlu has stressed that such lawsuits are now used to destroy newspapers and attempt to silence journalists through oppression:

"What we need to discuss is the lawsuit for damages of 1 million lira. The complainant can question whether the news in question represent public good and, if so, to what extent. And we can put aside the fact that the complainant made harsh remarks about public opinion in the past.

"However, requesting 1 million TRY from a journalist or a newspaper due to a news report can destroy the newspaper. And, in no way can we overlook the fact that an astronomical compensation is requested.

'They want to end plurality in the media'

"In the last two years, the lawsuits for damages filed against critical journalists, especially against the ones reporting on corruption and economy, have shown that they want to end the plurality in the media.

"The lawsuits filed against journalists such was Pelin Ünker, Çiğdem Toker, Fatih Polat, Bloomberg reporters, Sedef Kabaş and Merdan Yanardağ and media outlets such as Cumhuriyet, Evrensel and BirGün over the last years indicate a wide-scale operation to purge financial journalism.

"We, as Reporters Without Borders, request an end to this intimidation undertaken by the hand of the judiciary."

Cengiz threatened Cumhuriyet before

In 2016, Mehmet Cengiz phoned the Cumhuriyet newspaper over an article series on the bosses whose names were mentioned in Panama papers. Regarding this phone call, Cumhuriyet previously wrote:

"Today, at around 2.15 p.m., a voice calling the central office of Cumhuriyet in İstanbul said that Mehmet Cengiz wanted to speak in person and gave the phone to Mehmet Cengiz.

"He started his remarks, saying 'You put my picture on the headline, aren't you ashamed of yourselves?. He continued: 'I will fight you. I will stick those towers to you." He added, 'You pimps. Don't make me a killer'.

"Uttering a death threat by saying 'Don't make me a killer', Cengiz hung up the phone afterwards." (HA/SD)