FOUR JOURNALISTS RELEASED BUT FIGHT GOES ON FOR DOZENS STILL HELD

PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY 13 MARCH 2012. UPDATED ON WEDNESDAY 14 MARCH 2012.

http://en.rsf.org/turquie-four-journalists-released-but-13-03-2012,42106.html

Reporters Without Borders warmly welcomes the release on bail of the investigative journalists Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener and the OdaTV news website columnists Muhammet Sait Cakir and Coskun Musluk. However, their release should not hide the fact that dozens more media workers are still held.

“Naturally, our thoughts are with those journalists and their friends and families, who can finally see an end to their absurd nightmare after more than a year,” the press freedom organization said.

A Guide to Understand the OdaTV Case – 4: Being a lawyer in an adjudicated trial

Yiğit Günay, January 27, 2012 (translation: Ege M. Diren)

http://outforbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/01/guide-to-understand-odatv-case-4-being.html

The soL news portal published a series of articles concerning the background and the ongoings ofthe infamous OdaTV case. Signed Yiğit Günay, the articles investigate the trial’s judicial peculiaritiesas well as its political context and historical implications. Assuming the responsibility of providingEnglish information on Turkey with a political perspective that is compatible with our stance, wedecided to translate these articles for the English-speaking audience. 

This fourth and last article of the series is freely translatedfrom the Turkish original, titled “Odatv davasını anlama kılavuzu 4: Bitmiş davanın avukatı olmak”, published onDecember 31^st, 2011.

You can reach the previous articles by following the Odatvlabel.

A Guide to Understand the OdaTV Case – 3: Barış Terkoğlu, and Journalism in Court

Yiğit Günay, January 9, 2012 (translation: Ege M. Diren)

http://outforbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/01/guide-to-understand-odatv-case-3-bars.html

The soL news portal published a series of articles concerning the background and the ongoings ofthe infamous OdaTV case. Signed Yiğit Günay, the articles investigate the trial’s judicial peculiaritiesas well as its political context and historical implications. Assuming the responsibility of providingEnglish information on Turkey with a political perspective that is compatible with our stance, wedecided to translate these articles for the English-speaking audience.

This third article of the series is freely translated from the Turkish original, titled “Odatv davasını anlama kılavuzu 3: Barış Terkoğlu ve gazeteciliğin yargılanması”, published on December 29^th,2011.

Editorial note: Since this article containsreferences to many other issues in Turkishpolitics, we decided not to prolong thetranslation with many footnotes but insteadskip some parts that are harder to catchfrom the context.

You can reach all the articles by followingthe Odatv label.

In this third part of our article series on the Odatv trial, we examine the parts of the indictment that are related to Barış Terkoğlu¹. The indictment is based upon nothing more than his journalist activities. 

A Guide to Understand the OdaTV Trial – 2: Were the digital documents sent through virus activities?

http://outforbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/01/guide-to-understand-odatv-trial-2-were.html

Yiğit Günay, January 14, 2012 (translation: Ege M. Diren)

The soL news portal published a series of articles concerning the background and the ongoings of the infamous OdaTV case. Signed Yiğit Günay, the articles investigate the trial’s judicial peculiarities as well as its political context and historical implications. Assuming the responsibility of providing English information on Turkey with a political perspective that is compatible with our stance, we decided to translate these articles for the English-speaking audience.

This second article of the series is freely translated from the Turkish original, titled “Odatv davasını anlama kılavuzu 2: Dijital dokümanlar virüsle mi geldi?”, published on December 26^th, 2011.

In this second part of our article series on the Odatv case, we discuss if the documents claimed to be gathered from Odatv computers were embedded there through virus activities. As a matter of fact, whether they are sent through virus activities or not, the journalists should be released immediately.

The last expert investigation from the US is now complete. It states that the documents are infected. Are they really infected or not?

We should all be clear about one thing: It does not matter at all whether these documents are infected or not!

Court Defense of Dogan Yurdakul, January 27, 2012

TO: THE 16TH HIGH CRIMINAL COURT OF ISTANBUL

File No: 2011/14

Defendant: Dogan Yurdakul

Plaintiff: K.H

Re: Service of my pre-defense

Your Honor, Esteemed Court,

I stand before you because of my thoughts.

The entirety of the accusations raised against me is directed at my personal thoughts. I consider these accusations, as an insult to my personality and to the freedom of thought and expression in general, since they cause me to defend myself, by aiming at my thoughts and at expressing such thoughts in written or at expressing such thoughts during my telephone communications.

In the meantime, even though indicating and refuting various and fictitious assumptions which constitute the basis of the criminal charge are already like a punishment in the first place, I have to do that so.

Your Honor, when commencing the first hearing, you have suggested as ‘facts and fictions shall be separated’ by the court. By considering your suggestion as an assurance, I am going to try to indicate and answer the fictions mentioned in the criminal charge against myself, on the purpose of simplifying this separation process.

JUDICIAL SYSTEM PRESSES ON WITH ABSURD TRIAL OF ODA TV JOURNALISTS

PUBLISHED ON FRIDAY 6 JANUARY 2012, http://en.rsf.org/turkey-judicial-system-presses-on-with-06-01-2012,41639.html

This week’s hearings in the Istanbul trial of investigative journalists Ahmet Sik and Nedim Sener and eight journalists employed by the Oda TV news website – Soner Yalçin, Dogan Yurdakul, Baris Pehlivan, Baris Terkoglu, Muhammet Sait Cakir, Coskun Musluk, Yalçin Küçük and Müyesser Ugur – have confirmed that the prosecution has no case against them.

“By pressing on with this absurd prosecution and keeping the defendants in detention, the Turkish judicial system is just discrediting itself,” Reporters Without Borders said.

PROCÈS ODATV : LA JUSTICE S’ENFONCE DANS L’ABSURDE

http://fr.rsf.org/spip.php?page=article&id_article=41638

PUBLIÉ LE VENDREDI 6 JANVIER 2012.

« Cette semaine d’audiences a largement confirmé ce que l’on savait déjà : l’acte d’accusation contreAhmet Sik, Nedim Sener et les journalistes d’OdaTV est vide. En poursuivant sa fuite en avant et en s’acharnant à maintenir les accusés en détention provisoire, la justice ne fait que se déshonorer », a déclaré Reporters sans frontières.

A Guide to Understand the OdaTV Trial – 1: What are the journalists accused of? What is the evidence?

Yiğit Günay, January 9, 2012 (translation: Ege M. Diren)

http://outforbeyond.blogspot.com/2012/01/guide-to-understand-odatv-trial-1-what.html

The soL news portal published a series of articles concerning the background and the ongoings of the infamous OdaTV case. Signed Yiğit Günay, the articles investigate the trial’s judicial peculiarities as well as its political context and historical implications. Assuming the responsibility of providing English information on Turkey with a political perspective that is compatible with our stance, we decided to translate these articles for the English-speaking audience.

This first article of the series is freely translated from the Turkish original, titled “Odatv davasını anlama kılavuzu 1: Gazeteciler neyle suçlanıyor, kanıtlar neler?”, published on December 23^rd, 2011.

The first hearing of the Odatv trial was cut short for the evaluation of the recusation demand; so, in a sense, the trial will start on the second hearing on December 26^th.

INTERNATIONAL PRESS FREEDOM MISSION TO TURKEY: REPORT

http://www.ifj.org/assets/docs/106/195/726b16a-59f86c3.pdf

Due to the severe situation for freedom of the media in Turkey, and as a part of its
ongoing work, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) invited other international
organisations to participate in a 22-24 November 2011 press freedom mission to
Turkey. The aim was to make clear to the Turkish government and politicians the view
of the international organisations, as well as to show support for the immediate release
of 63 Turkish journalists who appear to have been jailed because of their work.
On 22 November 2011, the trial of 10 detained Turkish journalists (Ahmet Şik, Nedim
Şener, Soner Yalçin, Bariş Pehlivan, Bariş Terkoğlu, Müyesser Yildiz, Doğan
Yurdakul, Yalçin Küçük, Sait Çakir and Coşkun Musluk), indicted for their alleged
support of terrorist organisations in the so-called “Ergenekon” case, was to start in
Istanbul.

You can download the rest of the report from the following link in pdf format: press_freedom_turkey_report

MAINTIEN EN DÉTENTION DES JOURNALISTES DANS L’AFFAIRE ERGENEKON, PROCHAINE AUDIENCE FIN DÉCEMBRE

22.11.2011, http://fr.rsf.org/turquie-le-proces-d-ahmet-sik-et-nedim-22-11-2011,41426.html

“Le procès n’en est qu’à ses prémisses, mais l’audience d’aujourd’hui conforte déjà nos pires craintes. Le maintien des journalistes en détention provisoire, alors que l’enquête est terminée, est absolument indigne. Rien ne le justifie. De plus, en organisant cette audience dans une salle exiguë, sans aucune retransmission à l’extérieur, la justice a montré une nouvelle fois qu’elle ignorait totalement le droit du public à l’information sur un sujet d’intérêt général”, a déclaré Reporters sans frontières au sortir du tribunal.

La 16ème chambre de la cour d’Assises d’Istanbul a décidé, le 22 novembre 2011, de maintenir en détention provisoire les dix journalistes et de reporter la prochaine audience au 26 décembre. La demande de révocation du président de la Cour adressée par les avocats de certains journalistes, dontSoner Yalçin, sera examinée par la 17ème chambre de la Cour d’Assises, en vertu de la Loi sur les procédures pénales (CMK). Le président de la Cour avait déjà condamné certains des prévenus dans le cadre d’autres procès de presse.

COURT REFUSES TO FREE ERGENEKON CASE JOURNALISTS, ADJOURNS UNTIL END DECEMBER

PUBLISHED ON TUESDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2011. UPDATED ON WEDNESDAY 23 NOVEMBER 2011.

http://en.rsf.org/turquie-le-proces-d-ahmet-sik-et-nedim-22-11-2011,41425.html

The trial of 10 journalists accused of involvement in the ‘Ergenekon’ anti-government conspiracy began yesterday in the Istanbul district of Caglayan with the court rejecting a defence request for their immediate release and then adjourning until 26 December.

Lawyers representing some of the journalists, including Soner Yalçin, also requested the replacement of the court’s president on the grounds that he had already convicted them in another media case. The request will be considered another court under Turkey’s criminal procedure law (CMK).