The Press Bureau of the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has issued a new indictment against Deniz Yücel, the former Turkey correspondent of the Germany-based Die Welt newspaper. Deniz Yücel faces charges for writing about President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with the headline “Der Putschist” (The Putschist) in Welt am Sonntag, the Sunday supplement of the newspaper, on November 6, 2016.
The court case filed against Die Welt reporter Deniz Yücel for “insulting the President” has been merged with the file of the case where he is standing trial on charge of “publicly degrading the state.”
Charged with “insulting the President of the Republic” and standing trial as per the Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK), Deniz Yücel’s first hearing expected to be held at the İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on July 1 could not be held as the judge was on leave. The date of the next hearing will be set at a later date (July 1).
Deniz Yücel, who lives in Germany, did not attend the hearing on November 25, 2021. Lawyer Veysel Ok requested that the court issue a request for letters rogatory so that Yücel’s defense could be taken abroad. Following the prosecutor’s opinion, the court ruled that a request for letters rogatory should be issued. The next hearing will be held on April 12, 2022 (November 25).
At the hearing held on April 12, 2022, it was ruled that the response to the letters rogatory sent to Germany to take the defense of Yücel should be awaited. The next hearing will be held on September 29 (April 12).
At the hearing held on September 29, 2022, the lawyers of Yücel who made their defense requested an immediate acquittal for their client, indicating that the joke cited as criminal evidence and the expression allegedly violating the Article No. 299 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) should be considered within freedom of expression and that the elements of the offense charged did not arise. The prosecutor’s office, in its opinion, stated that it should be awaited till the rectification of the deficiencies was ensured. The court did not rule for an immediate acquittal and ruled that the return of the letters rogatory should be awaited. The next hearing will be held on January 24, 2023 (September 29).
At the hearing held on January 24, 2023, Yücel’s lawyer requested that the return of the letters rogatory be awaited to take the defense of their client. The court ruled that the return of the letters rogatory should be awaited. The next hearing will be held on May 18 (January 24).
The seventh hearing of the case was held on October 17, 2023, at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. Yücel’s lawyer requested that the arrest warrant be lifted and a letter rogatory be sent to Germany to obtain his defense statement. The court decided to wait for the execution of the arrest warrant against Yücel. The case was postponed to 27 February 2024 (17 October).
The eighth hearing of the trial of journalist Deniz Yücel on charges of “insulting the President” and “publicly degrading the state” was held on February 27, 2024 at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The court rejected the request of Die Welt newspaper writer and PEN Berlin spokesperson Deniz Yücel to take his defense in Germany, saying ‘Germany returns press files’. The court also decided to wait for the execution of the arrest warrant against Yücel and adjourned the hearing to June 27 (February 27).
The court ruled that execution of warrant to be awaited. The hearing was adjourned until 16 January, 2025 (June 27th).
