Defendants: Can Dündar, Erdem Gül, Enis Berberoğlu

Media Outlet and Position: Cumhuriyet Newspaper – Former Editor-in-Chief and correspondent

Accusations: Aiding a terrorist organization whilst not being a member

Charges: 5 years 10 months

Court: İstanbul 14. High Criminal Court

Case Background: 

Can Dündar, former editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet newspaper, faces charges of “obtaining secret documents for espionage” and “aiding a terrorist organization whilst not being a member” after Cumhuriyet reported that trucks belonging to Turkey’s National Intelligence Service (MİT) allegedly carried weaponry across the border to Syria. Those reports, which are being used as evidence, date back to January 2014.

The case included two other defendants; Cumhuriyet’s Ankara correspondent Erdem Gül and opposition party CHP MP Enis Berberoğlu, who is currently imprisoned.

A court earlier sentenced Dündar to five years and 10 months in prison and Gül to five years on charges of “obtaining and revealing secret documents for espionage”, while ordering a trial on the charge of “aiding a terrorist organization whilst not being a member” to proceed separately.

On June 14, 2017, MP Berberoğlu was sentenced to 25 years on charges of “political and military espionage” – later reduced to five years, 10 months by another court ruling.

Dündar currently lives in Germany, having fled the country after a gunman attacked him in front of the Çağlayan Courthouse, İstanbul.  The journalist was uninjured in the attack.

The most recent hearing, in which the court decided to wait for a Supreme Court decision on whether to overturn the sentences, was closed to the public.

Next hearing is set for July 18.