The trial of journalists Barış Pehlivan, Seda Selek, Serhan Asker, Suat Toktaş, and Kürşad Oğuz has been stalled for a year because the complainant expert witness, Satılmış Büyükcanayakın, has failed to appear in court for four hearings. The Istanbul 54th Criminal Court of First Instance determined that despite a warrant for his arrest, the expert witness could not be located and no one who knew him was found at his address. The case has effectively stalled because the expert witness, who was the subject of the phone call in question, could not be heard. The court stated that a decision could not be made without hearing the complainant.
January 14, 2026
MLSA Turkey