Defendants: Arif Kocabıyık

Media Outlet and Position: İlave TV – Reporter

Accusations: Insulting the president

Possible sentence: –

Court: Antalya Courthouse

Case background:

Arif Kocabıyık, a citizen journalist who conducted street interviews around the city of Antalya, is being charged with “insulting the president” over his social media posts 11 years ago. Charges were first brought against him on February 1, 2019. Prosecutor questioned him about his street interviews, citing as criminal evidence to other charges.

Kocabıyık often posed blunt questions to passersby on the street for his online news channel Ilave TV, such as “Would you open your home to Syrian refugees?” or “Are you happy with the presidential system?” He claimed that his goal was to give the people of Turkey a chance to voice their genuine opinions.

During the first hearing on April 25, 2019, Kocabıyık was asked if he had any relations with the cleric Fethullah Gülen, who Turkey’s government accuses of having established a “parallel state structure” and who the government blames for being behind the July 15-coup attempt. He denied all accusations.  The evidence against him is based on his Facebook posts from 2008 to 2012.

There are several other charges against him including “insulting public officials” and “inciting public to hatred and enmity”.

Next hearing in relation to this case will be held on September 26, 2019.