Zaman newspaper columnists sentenced to prison

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Three former columnists for the now-shuttered Zaman newspaper have received prison sentences for "aiding a terrorist organization."

Ali Bulaç, Şahin Alpay and Ahmet Turan Alkan have been sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison and Mümtazer Türköne has been sentenced to 3 years and 9 months in prison.

The journalists were retried after the Court of Cassation, the highest appeals court in the country, overturned a verdict against them in 2020.

They are accused of aiding the "Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)," which is held responsible for the 2016 coup attempt.

All defendants attended the final hearing yesterday (November 29) at the İstanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court.

"I have been deprived of the job I did for 55 years"

Ali Bulaç, during his defense, said that he was 72 years old and did not remember how many hearings he attended.

"Every case I was tried in was about freedom of thought and ideas. My property, my pension, my house were confiscated. I am almost in the position of being given alms.

"I was deprived of my 55-year job and profession. My support or sympathy for this organization is against the nature of things and the ordinary course of life.

Responding to the claim that the Zaman was against Islamism, Bulaç answered,

"Fetullah Gülen was also saying these things. The newspaper had nationalists, leftists, liberals, Jews, Greeks, and even gay writers. I was there for the Islamist quota. Since I was 15 years old, I have had an Islamist understanding. Despite being innocent, I was imprisoned for 22 months, while struggling with 3 chronic diseases."

"The dark side of the movement"

Stating he was never a member of FETÖ, defendant Şahin Alpay said that he wrote in Zaman because he could not find any other opportunity.

"I am not a religious person. I am a culturally Muslim. I was an atheist in my youth. I am now a deist. I did not see that the Gülen movement was a sinister organization until the treacherous coup attempt took place.

"I condemn the attempt the July 15 coup attempt, and I regret that I wrote in Zaman. I was mistaken not to see the movement's dark side."

"No article can be used as evidence"

Defendant Mümtazer Türköne stated that the case lasted for 6 years and everything has been said.

"As evidence, the headlines of the articles I wrote in the newspapers were shown. No article from this newspaper can be used as evidence in the trial.

"The reason why I was imprisoned for 2.5 years while my friends were released was that I showed no sign of remorse. I haven't done anything that I'll regret.

"I am an academic from a nationalist MHP background. I am a person who has connected and registered to an anti-coup civil program in Türkiye."

"This organization sickens me"

Responding to being sentenced as a member of the organization, Ahmet Turan Alkan said, "This organization sickens me. In other words, I find it hateful. Of course, we were also against this, but we did not have the opportunity to say anything.

"I'm tired of this job, I'm bored, and I'm starting to feel ashamed. At this age, I am a burden to my children. I stopped saying hello to ninety percent of my friends."

After the defenses, the verdict was announced, which saw Ali Bulaç, Şahin Alpay and Ahmet Turan Alkan sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in prison for "aiding an armed terrorist organization" as part of FETÖ. Mümtazer Türköne case was announced separately. He saw in his verdict 3 years and 9 months in prison for the same crime.

What happened?

After the coup attempt on July 15, 2016, operations against media organizations close to the Gülenists commenced. Zaman was a daily newspaper with a high circulation before the government seizure on March 4, 2016. It was closed by decree No. 668 on July 26, 2016.

11 people, including the former writers of Zaman newspaper, were tried for various crimes at the Istanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court. On July 6, 2018, the court sentenced Ali Bulaç and Şahin Alpay to 8 years and 9 months in prison for "membership of an armed terrorist organization", and Mümtazer Türköne and Mustafa Ünal to 10 years and 6 months.

On September 24, 2020, The 16th Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Appeals, established partial reversal for some defendants and partial approval for some defendants. (HA/WM/VK)