Defendants: Mehmet Çakmakçı

Media Outlets and Positions: Medyascope tv – correspondent

Accusations: Membership of a terrorist organization

Possible sentence: up to 15 years

Court: Diyarbakır 10. High Criminal Court

Case Background

Mehmet Çakmakçı, a correspondent for Medyascope tv, was arrested on July 4, 2018, on the charges of “membership of a terrorist organization” in Diyarbakır. Çakmakçı was released on probation on October 18 after over three months in detention.

During the sixth hearing in his case on May 17, 2019, Çakmakçı stated that the indictment cited his interviews, phone calls with the sources and photos that were taken on duty as criminal evidence, rejecting all charges against him.

The court ruled to wait until the transcript of a voice recording in the file is evaluated, adjourned the next hearing until November 8.