14 November 2024
The Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance continued the trial of Melisa Gülbaş, a former reporter for Gerçek Gündem. The case was filed following a complaint by Dr. Mehmet Turan, faculty member at Boğaziçi University’s Department of Computer Engineering, accusing the journalist of “insulting a public official” (Article 125/3 of the Turkish Penal Code).
In the trial, which began in May 2024, the prosecutor requested Gülbaş’s conviction. The case concerns a report published on Gerçek Gündem about the relocation of Boğaziçi University’s research center TETAM, allegedly carried out by the appointed rectorate using “garbage bags.”
At the second hearing on 14 November 2024, the presiding judge was on leave, so the case was handled in absentia through the file and adjourned to 15 April 2025.