Turkish court acquits five opposition broadcasters in trial

Can Bursalı / Gazete Duvar

A Turkish court on March 4 acquitted five broadcasters from the opposition Halk TV channel, regarding their coverage of a phone call with expert witness S.B. 

Halk TV Editor-in-Chief Suat Toktaş, Managing Editor Serhan Asker, Programs Coordinator Kürşad Oğuz, journalist Barış Pehlivan, and anchor Seda Selek were charged with "recording non-public conversations between individuals," "influencing a judicial official," and "broadcasting recorded conversations via press and media."

Rejecting the charges, Selek said she had no authority over broadcasting the news and stated that her indictment, given the circumstances, was unacceptable. 

Oğuz said that journalist Pehlivan recorded the phone conversation with the court expert S.B. purely out of "journalistic reflex" after overhearing it and added, "Even if we hadn't aired the recording, we would have reported the story. But to ensure nothing was missed, I recorded it. Without any edits, I sent the recording to Suat Toktaş. Suat Toktaş also aired it based on journalistic reflex."

Pehlivan pointed out that the transcript of the conversation with the court expert was not included in the indictment and stated that his intention was to get a scoop and that he acted out of journalistic reflex.

Pehlivan said, "When a politician makes such allegations against a court expert, it should attract everyone's attention in this country. As a journalist, it is my duty to take the politician's claims seriously and ask the subject of these striking allegations for a response. After Ekrem İmamoğlu’s press conference ended, I contacted the court expert to ask him about the allegations against him."

Toktaş said, "What is on trial here is journalism," and added, "Journalism has been forgotten in Turkey, along with its functions."

Toktaş concluded his defense by saying, "Journalism is difficult in political conflict environments. It separates and clashes different opinions. Right now, in this poisoned political environment, we are trying to explain that what we are doing is journalism."

Finally, Asker said he was on leave on the day the recording of S.B.'s voice was broadcast and had no involvement.

Upon hearing the ruling, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office objected to the acquittal decision and Toktaş's release. The court rejected the objection to Toktaş's release. The objection to the acquittal decision will be reviewed by the appellate court.

What happened?

The criminal investigation was launched against journalist Barış Pehlivan for broadcasting a conversation with a court expert named by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu.

Selek and Serhan Asker gave statements to the prosecutor in the anti-terror bureau regarding charges of "broadcasting recorded conversations via press and media" and "influencing a judicial official." They were released under judicial control. The court ordered the arrest of Toktaş on the grounds of "a risk of fleeing, hiding, and destroying evidence."

Pehlivan and Oğuz were released on the condition of signing in at the police station for three days and receiving a travel ban.

The indictment sought prison sentences of six to 14 years for Pehlivan and Oğuz. For Toktaş, Selek and Asker, the indictment requested prison sentences of four to nine years.

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