Same Case Two Courts Two Different Rulings

An Istanbul court condemns Cumhuriyet daily for quoting a main opposition party members criticism about PM Erdogan while another court acquitted Radikal daily on the same allegations. Erdogan urged damages for being insulted by those remarks.

Erol Önderoğlu

Two courts gave opposite rulings in two similar cases where two newspapers reported the same declaration by main opposition People's Republican Party (CHP) parliamentary group vice chair Haluk Koç about PM Erdoğan.

Cumhuriyet daily chief editor İbrahim Yıldız has been condemned to 23 months imprisonment by an Istanbul court, following PM Erdogan's complaint that Koç's speech included insult to his personality.

On another account, an Ankara court acquitted Radikal daily administrators on the same allegations.

Koç had said that PM Erdoğan "is twisting the facts" -in a less formal way-, criticizing the PM for not declaring his assets during a press conference, which was quoted by both newspapers.

The prosecution rejected PM Erdoğan's complaint about Haluk Koç.

But Şişli 2nd Court of First Instance condemned Cumhuriyet daily for quoting his words following the public prosecutor's demand.(EÖ/EÜ)

Origin

BÄ°A News Center

Erol Önderoğlu

[email protected]

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A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without...

A graduate of the French Language and Literature Department at İstanbul University. He has served as the Turkey representative for the international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF), where he began as a reporter in 1996. Since 1999, he has worked at bianet, a project of the IPS Communication Foundation, as the coordinator of the Legal Support Desk, editor for freedom of expression, and editor-in-chief. He has authored more than 4,800 signed news articles and opinion pieces. He has also written for Bizim Gazete and the journal Güncel Hukuk. He currently prepares the Media Monitoring Reports at bianet.