The indictment prepared by İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office against the 8 journalists that reported about the funeral of a National Intelligence Agency (MİT) Officer who died in Libya, was accepted by İstanbul 34th High Criminal Court recently.

 

Yeni Yaşam Executive Editor Mehmet Ferhat Çelik and Managing Editor Aydın Keser, Odatv Managing Editor Barış Terkoğlu, Executive Editor Barış Pehlivan and reporter Hülya Kılınç and Yeniçağ Newspaper writer Murat Ağırel are being held in Silivri Prison in scope of the investigation. Journalists are charged with 8 to 17 years imprisonment on charges of 'disclosing information that should remain confidential about the security and political benefits of the state' and 'disclosing information and documents about the intelligence activity'. The first hearing of the case will be held on 24 June.

 

Öndeş emphasized that in countries like Turkey, the concept 'state secret' is used to cover up the facts and the wrong policies of the government. Öndeş said: "The indictment mentions the investigation opened against Hakan Fidan 5 years ago. What does this case has anything to do with something that happened 5 years ago? They are trying to gather everything they can together and make a case out of it. A horrible conspiracy. The main question here is this. Do people have the right to discuss the wrong policies of the government if they are getting harmed as a result of these policies? For example, what does a citizen whose sun is fighting in Libya is in liberty to know? Do citizens have the right to know what's going on in their own country or not? According to the political power, we don't have that right. Because they are national issues, state secrets. On the other hand, these individuals has their own interests in these issues. They are either being harmed by them or benefit from them. This is the main question."

 

MA / Erdoğan Alayumat