MEDIA MONITORING DATABASE
Yılmaz Özdil – trial for “insult”
RELATED PERSON OR INSTITUTION
Yılmaz Özdil
CITY
İstanbul
YEAR OF INTERFERENCE
2022
LAST UPDATED
12/12/2022
TYPE OF STATEMENT
Political
MEDIUM
Print Media
Newspaper
THE TITLE OF WHOSE RIGHT IS INTERFERED
Journalist
RIGHTS GUARANTEED UNDER THE RIGHT OF FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Right to Impart Information and Ideas
TYPE OF INTERFERENCE
Judicial Interference
Public Prosecution Offices
File a criminal case
THE LEGAL GROUNDS FOR INTERFERENCE
Turkish Penal Code
Art. 299

Upon the criminal complaint of Hasan Yeşildağ, a person close to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, a lawsuit was filed against daily Sözcü columnist Yılmaz Özdil due to an article of his; he was charged with “public insult with an audio, written or visual message” as per the Article 125 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).

The İstanbul Anadolu Criminal Court of First Instance accepted the indictment lodged by the İstanbul Anadolu Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The trial will begin on March 9, 2023. 

Yılmaz Özdil was facing charges over his article dated June 28, 2022 where he was commenting on the allegations made by crime group leader Sedat Peker (December 12).