Contemporary Journalists’ Association (ÇGD) Mediterranean Branch Chair and Managing Editor of local daily Antalya Körfez Engin Korkmaz was being tried upon the tip of an informer on May 14, 2019 The person who accused the journalist of “being a member of the FETÖ”, which is held responsible for the attempted coup in 2016, was convicted of “slander”. However, another investigation was launched against Korkmaz over his social media posts amid the prosecution.
Journalist, charged with “insulting the President”, had his second hearing at the Antalya 19th Penal Court of First Instance, on March 11.
Requesting his acquittal, the journalist also requested extra time from the court board so that he can present the precedent rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to the court.
The court has accepted the request of Engin Korkmaz. The next hearing will be held on September 9, 2020.
At the trial held on September 9, as the prosecutor has been newly appointed to the case and has not examined the file, the trial has been adjourned until January 15th, 2021 (9 September).
At the hearing held on January 15, 2021, the prosecutor of the hearing indicated that the attorneys of President Erdoğan were not informed about the lawsuit that had been filed and requested that the attorneys be informed. The court board has accepted this request. The next hearing will be held on June 11 (January 15).
At the hearing held on June 11, 2021, the Presiding Judge ruled that the complainant’s request for involvement should be accepted and that the file should be examined to hand down a ruling. The next hearing will be held on December 15 (June 11).
The hearing scheduled for December 15, 2021 was adjourned until January as the judge was on leave (December 15).
At the hearing held on January 26, 2022, the court board indicated that there was a change of prosecutor and demanded that the new prosecutor review the case file. The next hearing will be held on October 3 (January 26).
At the hearing held on October 3, 2022, the prosecutor’s office presented its final opinion as to the accusations. Arguing that it was understood from the entire judicial process that the journalist had committed the offense charged by referring to the two social media messages cited in the indictment, the office requested that the journalist be penalized for “repetitively insulting the President of the Republic”. The court gave time to Erdoğan’s lawyer to make a statement as to the accusations and adjourned the hearing. The next hearing will be held on February 6, 2023 (October 3).
At the hearing held on February 6, 2023, the court ruled that Korkmaz should be acquitted as the legal elements of the offense charged did not arise (February 6).
