Sibel Hürtaş wrote an article called “The 624 colonels event” in Artı Gerçek news portal in August 2020.

Hürtaş stated in her article that Subutay Adaş, for whom there are claims that he has met a soldier who is a “FETÖ/PYD armed terrorist organization suspect” has been promoted to become a brigadier general with a Supreme Military Council (YAŞ) decision.

Adaş’s lawyer submitted a complaint petition to the Ankara Chief Prosecutor’s Office accusing Hürtaş of libel and slander. The prosecutor’s office concluded for “non-prosecution” on October 6, 2021.

Adaş’s lawyer objected to the decision. Ankara 5th Heavy Penal Court agreed with the objection on March 24, 2022, and reversed the “non-prosecution” decision. An indictment was prepared for Hürtaş according to articles 125/2, 125/3.a, 125/4 of the Turkish Criminal Court for “openly insulting public official because of his/her duty.” Ankara 19th Criminal Court of First Instance accepted the indictment.

Hürtaş was not present in the first hearing held on January 17, 2023. Adaş’s lawyer Serdar Öztürk stated Artı Gerçek was ‘in line with PKK-FETÖ” and requested that the historical traffic search of Hürtaş should be examined. The court decided that Hürtaş should be brought to the court.

Hürtaş pleaded in the second hearing on April 25, 2023, and said, “I did my duty as a journalist by revealing such a scandal.” The court decided that the police report on which the article is based should be presented to the court until the next hearing, blackening the data that will allow the source of the news to be identified so as not to violate the confidentiality of personal information. The next hearing will be on May 22.

Ankara 19th Criminal Court of First Instance has ruled for the acquittal of Hürtaş (January 24).