Supreme Court Of Appeals Reverses The Decision Against Ergündoğan

The Supreme Court of Appeals reversed the decision against journalist Ergündoğan, who was fined for attacking the personal rights of Haydar Baş, president of the Independent Turkey Party and head of the Kadirli religious order.

Erol Önderoğlu

The 3rd Legal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals reversed the compensation decision against journalist/writer Yalçın Ergündoğan for his article titled “His disciples rose against Haydar Baş and published in daily “Birgün”.

Haydar Baş, president of the Independent Turkey Party and head of Kadiri religious order, had filed a lawsuit against Ergündoğan for attacking his personal rights through the abovementioned news article published on April 26, 2005 and asked for compensation in the amount of 5000 YTL (about 2500 Euro).

Writer Ergündoğan will be retried on October 8

Although there was a trial process for the same article with three-year prison sentence demand, which had a scheduled hearing on September 18, Beyoğlu’s 4^th Criminal Court of Peace in Istanbul had already fined the author 1500 YTL (about 750 Euro)..

The Legal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals reversed the decision on the grounds that the trial process had not been completed.

“Personal life of a president of a political party is everyone’s concern”

Therefore, Ergündoğan’s case will restart at Beyoğlu’s 4^th Civil Court of Peace on October 8.

The writer had said the following right before his sentence: “Now, is it not news to publish in an internet site (The Real Face of Haydar Baş) that the disciples of Haydar Baş, who is president of a political party, left him and why they left. It is with the publishing of this news that the subject was brought to public’s attention and a Republican People’s Party deputy had brought it to the Parliament’s agenda.” (EÖ/EZÖ/TB)

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.