Turkey: Journalist Nurcan Yalçın Stands In Trial On Bogus Terror Charges Over Her Journalistic Coverage
Location: Turkey, Diyarbakır
Date: May 17, 2022Available in: 🇹🇷 Türkçe
The first hearing of the case against journalist Nurcan Yalçın was held in Diyarbakır. The journalist was sued with an accusation of “aiding an organization knowingly and willingly” over her reports between 2015-2016. The prosecutor finalized his arguments in the first hearing and sought conviction of Nurcan on terror-related charges. Giving the defendants additional time to complete their defense, the court adjourned the next hearing to 5 July.
The first hearing of the case, which was filed on the grounds of interviews made by journalist Nurcan Yalçın with women before the curfews in Diyarbakır's Sur district between 2015 and 2016, was held at Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court. The journalist and her lawyer, Resul Temur, attended the hearing.
Between 2015 to 2016, the Sur district, the ancient heart of Diyarbakır in southern-eastern Turkey, was under a 24-hour curfew, on and off. The city pitched battles between the Turkish state and Kurdish militants and tensions between the two parts led many people to flee from their homeland. In December 2015, it was reported that approximately 20 thousand people had to flee from the district, because of the clashes.
At the hearing, Nurcan took the first floor and defended herself. She stated that she was working as a camera operator at JINHA Women's Agency at the time when she went to the district for reporting. According to the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), the journalist added that many journalists went to the district to cover reports about the battles. By the time she visited there, she said that there was no curfew and added that the story in the case -cited as evidence- was only revealed in the news outlet where she worked.
Resul Temur, the journalist’s lawyer, presented the screenshot of the news coverage that was cited as the reason for the accusation of the journalist. He stated that the image in the file consists of two parts and that his client was reporting to a women-oriented agency. Adding to his words that his client was reporting on women in the district, the images of the coverage belonged to the journalist. Resul Temur also said that he will present the main defense after the opinion of the prosecution.
The prosecution, on the other hand, submitted his final argument and sought conviction of the journalist "aiding the organization knowingly and willingly" charge. He accused the journalist of interviewing alleged members of the armed organization, filming the figures, and making speeches to support its members morally. He also claimed that the journalist took images that were inciting violence, armed struggle, or rebellion, alleging the journalist's link with the organization.
Giving additional time to complete the defenses against the opinion, the court adjourned the next trial until July 5, 2022.
Counter-terrorism officials raided Nurcan’s house and arrested her without cause on February 4. Nurcan was released after four days of detention and a lawsuit was filed against her.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the prosecution's submission for the conviction, which cites journalistic activities as a criminal element. Journalists who report for the public interest in the pursuit of the truth should not be prosecuted. We demand the Turkish authorities acquit the journalist immediately. We reiterate that journalism is not a crime.
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.
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