Detained twice on the same day, journalist Ferhat Çelik released

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Taken into custody at his home in İstanbul's Şişli on the night of January 4 on the grounds of a news story posted on the YouTube page of Mezopotamya Agency (MA), MA Managing Editor Ferhat Çelik was released yesterday (January 5) only to be detained again on the same day.

Çelik was first taken into custody as part of an investigation launched by the Antep Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and taken to the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan earlier yesterday. He gave his statement there to the prosecutor in Turkey's southeastern Antep province via video conferencing on the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS).

Facing the possible charges of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization", Çelik was asked questions about the news published by the MA in the period of August-September 2020. The prosecutor asked the journalist about the MA's news on the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the throwing of two citizens from a helicopter in Van province and the citizen who was subjected to violence at the Urfa Counterterrorism Department.

After giving his statement, Çelik was referred to the Criminal Judgeship of Peace. He was released with an international travel ban there.

Leaving the courthouse, Ferhat Çelik was taken into custody again, this time as part of another investigation carried out by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Taken to the Mecidiyeköy District Security Directorate, Çelik gave his statement about a news report published by the MA. The journalist was released from detention after giving his statement.

Support by the NUJ

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) of the United Kingdom (UK) expressed its solidarity with the journalist who was detained twice.

In its message, the union recalled that "it was not the first time that Çelik was harassed by the police just because of his journalistic activities." Calling for his immediate release, the NUJ said, "This is the last example of the pressure and attacks targeting press freedom and free press in Turkey" and "saluted the free press workers with all feelings of solidarity."

Judicial harassment

Ferhat Çelik is one of the journalists frequently facing police and judicial harassment in Turkey. Over the news about the intelligence officer laid to rest in Manisa following his death in Libya, Çelik was put on trial along with journalists Aydın Keser, Barış Pehlivan, Barış Terkoğlu, Eren Ekinci, Hülya Kılınç and Murat Ağırel. He was sentenced to 4 years, 8 months, 7 days in prison for violating the Law on National Intelligence Organization (MİT).

Over a news report titled "Bugs put in prisoners' food in Bayburt", which was published by the MA on October 4, 2018, Managing Editor Ferhat Çelik was also put on trial in 2021 upon the criminal complaint of the Bayburt Type M Closed Prison. He was acquitted at his first hearing.

Frequently detained, Çelik was taken into custody last year while he was on his way to visit journalist Sadık Topaloğlu in prison. He was released after giving his statement; however, police officers came to his house in the evening and detained him again, saying that "he should depose." (HA/SD)