Investigation launched into opposition journalist over reports on prosecutor visiting Erdoğan
Turkish prosecutors have launched an investigation into Tele1 TV editor-in-chief Merdan Yanardağ over his reports that Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor Yüksel Kocaman paid a visit to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan following his wedding ceremony. The court ruled for Yanardağ's release, but imposed judicial control measures involving regularly reporting at his local police station as well as overseas travel ban.
Duvar English
An investigation has been launched into Merdan Yanardağ, the editor-in-chief of Tele1 TV, over his reports that Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor Yüksel Kocaman paid a visit to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan following his wedding ceremony.
AnkaraChief Public Prosecutor's Office said that the journalist's remarkswere “targeting” Kocaman and referred to him to the court. AsYanardağ is based in Istanbul, his defense testimony was takenthrough the video conferencing system SEGBİS.
Yanardağ told the Ankara court that all he did was journalism. “We are doing journalism and interpreting the incidents. In the relevant news piece, we have shared what had happened before and gave the details of the background. There is no bad intention here, all we do is journalism,” Yanardağ told the court.
Following his testimony, the court released Yanardağ, but imposed judicial control measures involving regularly reporting at his local police station as well as overseas travel ban.
Lastweek, various Turkish media outlets reported that prosecutor Kocaman,who is responsible from preparing the indictment into former Peoples'Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, paid a visit toErdoğan in the presidential palace following his wedding ceremony.
Picturesof Kocaman and the bride, Ayça Dursun, were interpreted as thecurrent state of the judiciary that’s dependent on the governmentand Erdoğan.