Turkey: CFWIJ Welcomes Journalist Hazal Ocak’s Acquittal
Location: Turkey, Istanbul
Date: January 27, 2021Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The sixth hearing of the trial against Cumhuriyet Newspaper reporter Hazal Ocak was held today in İstanbul. The court decided to dismiss the defamation case towards the journalist. The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) welcomes the court verdict. We urge the judiciary to stand for the fundamental freedoms and rights of reporters. Therefore we demand all journalists’ acquittal.
A lawsuit was filed against Hazal Ocak and the president of Cumhuriyet Foundation, Alev Coşkun, in October 2019 on behalf Cengiz Holdings over allegations of defamation. The lawsuit was in retaliation to Hazal’s article in Cumhuriyet Newspaper titled "Luxury fixture with a view of the Bosphorus", which revealed an illegal construction project of Cengiz Holding and its chairman Mehmet Cengiz.
Cengiz Holding’s chairman Mehmet Cengiz sued for requesting compensation over journalist Hazal Ocak’s article, claiming the news story was inaccurate and his reputation was tarnished.
Hazal and Alev faced a fine of 1 million Turkish Liras for reputational damage. The sixth hearing of the case against journalists was held today at İstanbul’s 14th Anadolu Civil Court of First Instance. The court verdict dismissed all the defamation charges against journalists.
This is not the first trial Hazal has encountered for her work. The journalist faced at least three different charges for the articles she wrote in the Cumhuriyet newspaper, though she was acquitted from the charge of ‘insulting state officials’ on October 27, 2020.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism welcomes this decision and especially the remarks by the prosecutor which should be used as a precedent in similar cases. Defamation lawsuits are used as a way to intimidate journalists who especially work on covering stories about abuse of power and corruption. These cases are initiated by the state with claims of “defamation of judicial organs” or by businessmen and people with strong public presence alleging the work of the journalist harmed their reputation.
Since the beginning of 2021, we have already documented at least ten cases of legal harassment against women journalists in Turkey. We believe these compensation cases are being used as a new tactic to intimidate journalists. Therefore, we call on Turkish authorities to intervene and put an end to such acts that jeopardize the freedom of expression in Turkey.
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The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ. Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org
The Coalition For Women In Journalism closely monitors the incidents in Turkey with great concern. Since March 8, Women's Day, police violence against women journalists increasingly continues in the country. As the coalition, we urge the Turkish state to provide a free environment for journalists. Following the news is our most fundamental democratic right to report. We demand the immediate release of our detained colleagues. Journalism is not a crime. Journalism cannot be prevented.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.