Halk TV journalists acquitted in secret recording case

ISTANBUL

A court in Istanbul has acquitted five Halk TV journalists in a case over unlawfully airing a secretly recorded phone conversation involving an expert witness, resulting in the release of editor-in-chief Suat Toktaş.

In January, prosecutors initiated the investigation after Halk TV aired a secretly recorded phone conversation between its journalist, Barış Pehlivan, and Satılmış Büyükcanayakın, who was appointed as an expert in investigations targeting municipalities governed by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

The probe resulted in the detention of Toktaş, Pehlivan, Halk TV’s managing director Serhan Asker, program director Kürşad Oğuz and presenter Seda Selek. While four of the detained were released under judicial control with an overseas travel ban, Toktaş remained in custody and was sent to prison.

During the trial held on March 4, the journalists appeared before the court for the first time.

In his defense, Toktaş stated, “For 38 years, I have never adhered to journalism based on [political] circumstances and I believe that the law should not be applied based on circumstances either. Whatever channel entrusted me with its management, I practiced journalism accordingly.”

Despite the prosecutor's request to prolong Toktaş's arrest, the court ruled in favor of acquitting all five journalists.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu raised the allegations about Büyükcanayakın during a press briefing on Jan. 27. He also accused him of submitting fabricated reports to court.

Istanbul prosecutors launched a separate investigation into İmamoğlu over these remarks.