Journalist Yücel Not Acquitted Despite Constitutional Court Verdict

The fourth session of the case where Deniz Yücel, the former Turkey representative of the Die Welt newspaper, is on trial was held at the İstanbul 32th Heavy Penal Court today (July 16).

İstanbul

Journalist Yücel Not Acquitted Despite Constitutional Court Verdict

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Yücel, who is charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" and "provoking people into enmity and hatred," did not attend the hearing while his attorney Veysel Ok was present at the courthouse.

Yücel was released from prison in February after one-year pretrial detention. The Constitutional Court ruled last month that his arrest was "violation of rights."

The presiding judge said that the top court verdict was sent to them. The statement Yücel give in Germany upon letters rogatory, however, has not been reached the court.

Attorney Ok requested Yücel's acquittal in accordance with the Constitutional Court verdict, without waiting for the statement to reach the court.

The court ruled that Yücel's statement shall be waited for and adjourned the hearing to October 17 at 10.30 a.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)