The Bakırköy 34th Penal Court of First Instance held the final hearing yesterday in a case against journalists Timur Soykan, Barış Pehlivan, Şule Aydın, and Murat Ağırel, MLSA reported.
The charges stemmed from allegations discussed during a program on Halk TV aired on Oct 8, 2024.
During the broadcast, the journalists discussed claims regarding ongoing trade between Turkey and Israel despite Ankara's sanctions, as well as alleged gold smuggling through the VIP section of İstanbul Airport.
Defense statements
The journalists did not attend the hearing, but their lawyers were present. The prosecutor requested that the court penalize the journalists for the alleged crimes.
Gamze Pamuk, the lawyer for Şule Aydın, challenged the prosecutor's opinion.
"We do not agree with the prosecution's opinion. It lacks a legal basis. Our client Şule Aydın is the moderator of this broadcast. Criminal responsibility cannot be individualized. No concrete act has been established regarding our client. The material elements of the crime did not occur. Our client served as a moderator in the event subject to the crime. She performed her duty within the boundaries of criminal law and freedom of expression," Pamuk said.
Buse Şahin, representing Barış Pehlivan and Timur Soykan, argued that there was no clear link in the indictment or the opinion between specific actions and the crimes charged.
"Freedom of expression was exercised in this incident. There is no statement aimed at spreading misleading information or threatening public peace. Timur Soykan is being targeted for punishment because he asked journalist Murat Ağırel a question about a news report. We demand acquittal," Şahin stated.
Özge Naz Akkaya, lawyer for Murat Ağırel, said the legal elements for the three charges against her client were not met. Akkaya noted that the crime of "publicly spreading misleading information" requires a motive of fear and panic.
She stated that Ağırel's remarks were based on presidential statements, TurkStat data, and reports from TRT and Anadolu Agency.
Regarding the charge of "insulting religious values," she argued that the phrase "political Islam" cannot be considered a religious value.
For the "violation of confidentiality" charge, she said the information shared concerned a matter of public interest and did not violate any confidentiality orders.
Sentences
The court acquitted Şule Aydın of the charges.
Timur Soykan was acquitted of "publicly spreading misleading information" and "publicly insulting religious values adopted by a section of the public."
However, the court sentenced Soykan to 10 months in prison for "violation of confidentiality" and deferred the announcement of the verdict.
Barış Pehlivan was acquitted of "violation of confidentiality" but received a prison sentence of 1 year and 3 months for "publicly spreading misleading information."
Murat Ağırel was acquitted of "violation of confidentiality" and "publicly insulting religious values adopted by a section of the public."
The court sentenced Ağırel to 1 year and 3 months in prison for "publicly spreading misleading information." (HA/VK)
