Asking the court to convict Yücel of “terrorism propaganda” and “inciting hatred and animosity,” the prosecutor also requests a criminal complaint against Yücel to be filed on the charge of “insulting the president”

CANSU PİŞKİN, ISTANBUL

The trial of Deniz Yücel, Die Welt’s former Turkey correspondent, on the charges of “disseminating terrorist group propaganda” and “inciting hatred and animosity” resumed on 13 February 2020 at the 32nd High Criminal Court of Istanbul.

P24 monitored the sixth hearing, which began an hour later than scheduled. Yücel, who lives in Germany, was absent. He was represented by his lawyer Veysel Ok.

Barbara Trionfi of the International Press Institute (IPI), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey Representative Erol Önderoğlu and representatives from the German Consulate General also monitored the hearing.

It turned out that the prosecution had submitted their final opinion two days before the hearing, requesting the court to convict Yücel of “disseminating propaganda for the PKK/KCK terrorist group” and “inciting the public to hatred and animosity.” The prosecution asked the court to acquit Yücel of “disseminating propaganda for FETÖ/PDY” on the grounds that the objective elements of the offense could not be established.

The prosecutor then went on to request a criminal complaint to be filed against Yücel for putting the title “putschist,” above a photograph of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with a Turkish flag behind him in an article published on 6 November 2016.

Telling the court that the final opinion had reached them just a day before the hearing, Ok asked for continuance to prepare their defense statements in response to the final opinion. Accepting the defense’s request, the court adjourned the trial until 2 April.