A delegation from the International Press Institute (IPI), led by IPI Turkey Advocacy Coordinator Caroline Stockford, is in Turkey this week, April 24 to 27, to monitor the final hearing in the criminal trial of journalists and staff with Turkey’s Cumhuriyet newspaper. We’ll be updating this page daily with key points from the proceedings. See additional background and resources on the Cumhuriyet trial

Day One: Tuesday, April 24

— The trial began at approximately 10:25 at Silivri Prison outside Istanbul, where several of the defendants, including IPI Executive Board Member Kadri Gürsel, were held for months in pre-trial detention. A total of 18 defendants face terrorism-related charges in the case.

— Despite slow progress over a 17-month period in the Cumhuriyet trial, the final hearing has so far progressed at a significantly faster pace. Each of the 17 defendants present (former Editor-in-Chief Can Dündar is currently in exile) gave a final defence statement, with many simply stating that there was no change to their initial defence. Cumhuriyet political columnist Kadri Gürsel, a member of IPI’s global Executive Board and the chair of IPI’s Turkey National Committee, spoke at length, as did Cumhuriyet CEO Akın Atalay, who is one of two defendants still in pre-trial detention.

— Five defence lawyers spoke, focusing on the baseless nature of the allegations, the insubstantial nature of the indictment, lack of concrete evidence and infringement of the defendants’ right to a fair trial as enshrined in the Turkish Constitution, the Turkish Penal Code and the European Convention on Human Rights.

— Today, Wednesday, April 25, defence lawyers are expected to complete the presentation of their arguments and the trial is expected to be adjourned pending the judges’ decision. The decision may be announced any time between this afternoon and Friday, April 26.

— Key quotes from day one:

• Cumhuriyet’s political columnist Kadri Gürsel, speaking about the “evidence” against him, which comprised data of unanswered SMS messages sent to him by members of the public: “Journalists have the right to speak to a whole range of people in the country in order to write full, well-founded articles.”
• Cumhuriyet CEO Akın Atalay: “The primary role of a newspaper is not to make money but to present news, truth, criticism and views to the public.”
• Lawyer Ergin Çetin: “It is clear from the indictment that this could never be a fair trial.”

— “Journalism is being put on trial.” IPI’s Caroline Stockford spoke to the media outlet #ÖZGÜRÜZ, founded by Can Dündar, on the need for an urgent acquittal of all defendants in the case.

— For any Finnish speakers, check out the fantastic interview with Kadri Gürsel by IPI’s Helsingin Sanomat Foundation Fellow Alma Onali in today’s edition of the leading Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat. Gürsel discusses the absurdities of the charges against him: “I am a journalist, my job is to be critical”.