FREEDOM OF THE PRESS

The Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office has opened a trial against journalist Mehmet Baransu from Taraf newspaper. Baransu is accused of "communicating protocols" regarding an attack of the militant Kurdish Worker's Party (PKK) on the Aktütün police station which resulted in the death of 17 soldiers.

The indictment prepared by Public Prosecutor Ercan Şafak on 27 August 2009 includes the following information: Mehmet Baransu's news item entitled "Written Records" published on 13 April 2009 gives information about details such as the time of the attack, departure times of the aircrafts that bombed PKK camps, when the Prime Minister and the Presidency was informed and what time the Chief of General Staff came to the headquarters.

Trial begins on 18 November

2 months after the pulishing of the news the Military Prosecutor's Office filed a criminal complaint against Baransu on 12 June. The complaint accuses Baransu of "disclosing information related to the state's security and political efficacy which should have remained confidential".

Baransu's trial will open on 18 November at the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court.

Baransu is facing up to 10 years imprisonment applying article 329/1 of the Turkish Criminal Code (TCK) on the grounds that he "published confidential written records, and information and documents with a classified status that had not been removed or altered".

The Taraf newspaper drew attention to the fact that the date of the Chief of General Staff filing the complaint was the very same day the newspaper published news about the "action plan against reactionary forces", a controversial document showing alleged plans to discredit the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the religious movement led by Fethullah Gülen. Baransu had signed responsible for this news item as well.

Measuring with two different scales

Baransu had published the disputed article 6 months after the Aktütün attack. The journalist claims: "The information conveyed in the written records has been disclosed as press releases on the General Staff's website a thousand times until today. Information has been published about attacks on PKK camps, the time of air raids on the camps, the time of the attack by the PKK members, further information about the attack, people visiting the General Staff and about some other issues concerning the topic. Also General Hasan Iğsız communicated similar information in a press conference organized right after the newspaper's publishing. I revealed the incident just like general Hasan Iğsız did it. It is not a crime if the General Staff spreads the news - but is it a crime when it is me who does it?"

Prosecutor requested acquittal for other Aktütün news

Finally, the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court Prosecutor requested the acquittal of Taraf newspaper director Adnan Demir who is on trial for publishing another news article concerning the Aktütün attack which was entitled "We told you to confess about Aktütün... Now we are talking". This trial is to be continued on 20 September. (EÖ/VK).