Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank filed a criminal complaint against BirGün reporter İsmail Arı on the grounds of his news report “Varank’s cousin got the sea view estate!” dated November 18, 2022. Varank requested that the journalist be charged with “insulting a public official” as per the Article 125/3 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).

Arı was summoned to give his statement by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office Press Crimes Investigation Bureau. In the criminal complaint, it was requested that Arı be put on trial for “insulting a public official” on the grounds of allegedly “insulting a public official and causing him to lose credibility in the eyes of the public” (December 16).

The İstanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance accepted the indictment lodged against Arı on charge of “insulting a public official” (as per the Article 125/3 of the TCK). The first hearing will be held on April 24, 2023 (January 6).

The second hearing of the case was held on July 11, 2023 at Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The trial was adjourned to October 24 (July 11).

On October 24, the prosecutor gave his final opinion and demanded Arı to be sentenced. The trial was adjourned to November 28 (October 24).

At the final hearing on November 28, the court acquitted Arı on the grounds that the charged crime was not defined as a crime in the law (November 28).