An investigation has been launched against journalist Aslıhan Gençay, who reported on a drug investigation involving an AKP provincial administrator in Hatay, and lawyer Tugay Bek, who shared the news on social media. The report, published on January 7, 2025, on the P24 Independent Journalism Platform, examined how Servet Tecirli, a member of the AKP Hatay Provincial Executive Board, was exempted from the investigation. The investigation, launched by the Reyhanlı Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office following a complaint by Servet Tecirli, was conducted on charges of “inciting the public to disobey the law” and “defamation.” In October, the prosecutor’s office decided not to pursue charges against Gençay, Bek, and M.G. The decision stated that the news should be evaluated within the scope of press freedom, emphasizing that harsh criticism did not make the news unlawful. Lawyer Tugay Bek stated that 10 investigations and one lawsuit had been filed against his client to date, saying, “Journalists are being silenced through the courts because they are in pursuit of the truth.”
November 1, 2025
MLSA