Constitutional Court: Daily Özgür Gündem’s closure was a violation of rights

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The Constitutional Court has finalized the application regarding the closure of the Özgür Gündem newspaper in 2016.

The top court has concluded that the "freedoms of expression and press" of Özgür Gündem, closed by a Statutory Decree, have been violated.

What happened?

The İstanbul 8th Penal Court of Peace closed the Özgür Gündem (Free Agenda) newspaper on August 16, 2016.

While the ruling said that it was a "temporary closure", the exact date when the daily would be opened again was not indicated in the court ruling.

The court ruling said:

"...As it is understood that an investigation has been launched against the newspaper named Özgür Gündem on the allegation that it is is constantly propagandizing for the PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] terrorist organization and acting like the media outlet of the armed terrorist organization and an investigation has been launched against its executives as per the TCK [Turkish Penal Code] Articles 302/1, 314/2, 220/2,8 and the Article 7/2 of the [Anti-Terror] Law no. 3713, it is ruled that the newspaper shall be temporarily closed as per the last sentence of Article 28 of the Constitution..."

Before the decision of closure was even notified to the newspaper, it was published by the pro-government Yeni Şafak newspaper. In the afternoon of the same day, the police raided the office of Özgür Gündem newspaper, battering and detaining 24 journalists. Özgür Gündem Editor-in-Chief Bilir Kaya, Managing Editor İnan Kızılkaya and writer Aslı Erdoğan, who was detained in an operation against her house, were arrested.

Without being opened again, Özgür Gündem newspaper was closed by a Statutory Decree on October 29, 2016, in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016. (RT/SD)