As Freedom of Expression Network Turkey, we were at Çağlayan Courthouse to follow Özgür Gündem trials on November 22 and 24. In two days 16 people stood trial on 11 different cases. Writers and journalists who participated "Editor-in-Chief on Watch" campaign in solidarity with the daily, Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Çilem Küçükkeleş, Necmiye Alpay, Celal Başlangıç, Murat Uyurkulak, Faruk Balıkçı, Jülide Kural, Hasan Cemal, Yıldırım Türker and Fehim Işık presented their defense statements, Kumru Başer was not able to stand trial as she was abroad. Said Sefa was not present at his hearing and was ordered to be summoned by force. In all cases, the executive editor of the daily, İnan Kızılkaya is a co-defendant and has been arrested since August. In every indictment, an article or a news piece was claimed to be an evidence for "terrorist organization propaganda", and in each hearing the editors-in-chief on watch objected the allegations and repeated that they support peace.
Özgür Gündem daily’s Publishing Consultant Board members Necmiye Alpay and Aslı Erdoğan who were arrested during August, have been released of charges of "Disrupting unity of the state and integrity of the country", yet will futher be under arrest on charges of "being a member of an [illegal] organization]. November 23 was Necmiye Alpay's birthday and November 24 was Teacher's Day. Thus, Alpay's friends celebrated her birthday with songs and a birthday cake before her hearing.
Here are some highlights from the trials:
* Writer Ömer Ağın, on trial for his article published on May 12, titled "Those who fight may lose, but those who don't have already lost", reminded that he was quoting Bertolt Brecht in the title. Ağın and Başlangıç's hearing was postponed to March 28, 09:50.
* Faruk Balıkçı drew attention to the pressures the daily endured since the 90's and stated that he undertook the duty of Editor-in-Chief on Watch as an ethical, conscientious and professional duty. His hearing is postponed to February 14, 14:00.
*Journalist/Writer Murat Uyurkulak stated that what he witnessed in conflict zones where he worked as a journalist, was no different than what he saw in Sur and Nusaybin. He emphasized that he believed that the only solution to these conflicts was through peace and democracy. Uyurkulak also indicated that he would have shown solidarity with any newspaper and that if freedom of press and of expression is a crime, he would keep committing this crime all his life.
* Actress Jülide Kural stated that the indicator of democracy in any country is freedom of expression and of press, and that she joined the campaign for solidarity against the repression.
* Linguist Necmiye Alpay reminded that her duty as an Editor-in-Chief on Watch was not in effect and was only symbolical, and said "The purpose is not to defend the content but the freedom of expression."
Some of the hearings are postponed to February 14 and others to March 28. You can refer to updated calendar on our CTL database webpage.