Defendants: Ece Sevim Öztürk

Media Outlet and Position: Çağdaş Ses news site – Editor-in-Chief

Status: Imprisoned

Facility: Bakırköy Women’s Closed Prison, İstanbul

Accusations: Making terrorist propaganda; Aiding a terrorist organization

Possible Sentences: –

Court: İstanbul 37. High Criminal Court

Case Background: 

Ece Sevim Öztürk, editor-in-chief of Çağdaş Ses news site, was arrested on June 20, 2018, over a documentary she filmed related to the July-15 coup attempt in 2016. Journalist is being charged with “making terrorist propaganda” and “aiding a terrorist organization” referring to the Gülen-linked movement (FETÖ) as the terrorist organization led by Pennsylvania-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Turkey’s government accuses of having established a “parallel state structure” and who the government blames for being behind the coup attempt.

The indictment, prepared only 2.5 months after Öztürk’s arrest, cited her documentary titled “Darkest day of the Navy: July 15” as criminal evidence, claiming the documentary was meant to “revive the organization and free its members jailed by creating a positive image of the Gülen movement and coup plotters”.

Indictment also cited the documentary as a “so-called documentary which includes familiar fiction scenarios of coup attempt to be controlled [by the government] and demonstrates the ones who fought against the coup attempt as traitors.”

Öztürk will be brought to the court for the first time on November 1.