Turkey: Second Hearing Of The Case Against Journalist Hazal Ocak Has Been Postponed To Next Year.

Location: Turkey, Gaziantep
Date: November 27, 2020

Available in: 🇹🇷  Türkçe

In June 2019, Cumhuriyet Newspaper writer Hazal Ocak was sued for 20 thousand TF in financial compensation. The lawsuit followed her article titled ‘Tender Game in Şahinbey’ that exposed the corruption in Şahinbey Borough Council. The second hearing of the case was postponed, due to the absence of both the prosecution and defence lawyers. The third hearing of the case will be held on March 3, 2021.

In her story, the journalist exposed illegal activity of the car park tender organized by the Şahinbey Gaziantep Borough Council. She brought to light that the tender was elected before the declaration. Ocak revealed she received information regarding the corruption from her source, a council member of the Republican People's Party (CHP). The council's lawyer, Oğuzhan Çiftçi, filed a charge to the Gaziantep Civil Court of First Instance after the story was published. In his complaint, he expressed "Although the car park tender was carried out legally, the claims contained misinformation. The story was published directly to defame our municipality and gain profit." Following the request of the council, the Gaziantep Court of First Instance accepted the petition.

This is not the first time Hazal Ocak is facing a financial compensation case. Earlier this year, a lawsuit was filed against the journalist in October 2019 on behalf of Cengiz Holdings over allegations of defamation. The trial 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. Hazal faces a fine of 1 million Turkish Liras for reputational damage. The next trial will be held on January 20, 2021.

Earlier this year, Hazal wrote an article that focused on the plots purchased by President Tayyip Erdogan's son-in-law and former Minister of Finance and Treasury, Berat Albayrak. A claim for damages was filed against her over her article “Son-in-law Knows His Way” published in Cumhuriyet Daily on March 6, 2020. The article detailed Berat Albayrak’s purchase of land on the route of the Kanal Istanbul project. She was accused of publicly insulting a public figure due to the performance of Albayrak's duty through audio, text or visual message. The journalist was acquitted at the second hearing of the case.

This year, the Coalition For Women In Journalism has documented numerous cases against women journalists in Turkey. Most of these cases are based on legal harassment, with financial compensation cases used as a new method to intimidate journalists. We call on Turkish authorities to end the attacks on 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.