On February 16, 2018, the 11th High Criminal Court of Adana acquitted the owner of daily Ekspres Hakan Bülent Yardımcı in the case which he was pending trial for “membership in a terrorist organisation [FETÖ]”. Upon the objection of the prosecutor against the acquittal, the Regional Court of Justice of Adana decided to sentence Yardımcı to 2 years and 1-month of imprisonment for “knowingly and willingly aiding an armed terrorist organization as a non-member” on October 24, 2018.