An investigation was launched against journalist Alican Uludağ over a social media post where he criticized the former Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor who was appointed as a member to the Court of Cassation. The journalist was charged with “turning a counterterrorism official into a target” as per the Article 6/1 of the Anti-Terror Law (TMK). The indictment lodged against Uludağ was completed on September 30. 

The indictment has been accepted by the Ankara 18th High Criminal Court. Uludağ will have his first hearing on December 2, 2020 (October 1).

At the hearing held on December 2, the prosecutor presented the opinion as to the accusations and demanded that Uludağ be penalized on charge of “turning a counterterrorism official into a target.” Uludağ and his attorney requested additional time to make defense as to the accusations. The court has ruled that the international travel ban on Uludağ shall remain in effect. The next hearing will be held on February 3, 2021 (December 2).

At the hearing held on February 3, the court board sentenced Alican Uludağ to 10 months in prison. The prison sentence of the journalist has been deferred. The international travel ban on Uludağ has been lifted (February 3).

The 22nd Penal Chamber of the Ankara Regional Court of Justice, the appeals court, heard the trial of journalist Alican Uludağ, who was sentenced to 10 months in prison by the local court on charge of “marking a counterterrorism official as a target” (as per the Article 6/1 of the Anti-Terror Law / TMK), on September 14, 2022. Uludağ’s lawyer Semih Ecer requested his client’s acquittal. Şuranur Başgül, the intervening attorney, argued that Uludağ’s tweets did not fall within the limits of criticism and that he marked her client Kocaman as a target based on groundless claims. Başgül requested that the appeal be rejected. The prosecutor’s office demanded time to prepare the opinion as to the accusations. The court accepted the request. The next hearing will be held on November 23 (September 14).

At the hearing held on November 23, 2022, the prosecutor’s office presented its final opinion as to the accusations and requested the dismissal of the application as to the merits. The trial was adjourned until February 1, 2023 (November 23).

At the hearing held on February 1, 2023, Uludağ’s lawyer Semih Ecer Uludağ made his defense as to the accusations and requested Uludağ’s acquittal. The appeals court announced that the 10-month prison sentence given to Uludağ was reversed and ruled for his acquittal on the grounds that the elements of the crime had not been constituted (February 1).