Journalist Kazım Güleçyüz on Monday was handed down a suspended 15-month sentence on conviction of disseminating “terrorist propaganda” for conveying condolences for the late Fethullah Gülen, an Islamic cleric listed as a “terrorist” by the Turkish government, the Tr724 news website reported.
Güleçyüz, the former editor-in-chief of the Yeni Asya newspaper, announced the decision on his social media account, saying it was a political “intimidation tactic.”
“Decision in the condolence case: 1 year, 3 months in prison, but the enforcement of the verdict has been postponed; if no new ‘crime’ is committed during the 5-year probation period, the verdict will be reversed; otherwise, it will be enforced. Result: A ‘non-verdict’ decision that was just meant to be an intimidation tactic. I will appeal. I believe that justice will prevail,” he said on X.
Several human rights advocates showed solidarity with Güleçyüz on social media.
“This is a bizarre country where even a condolence can get you into trouble,” said Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).
“A completely unlawful ruling. How do these people [members of the judiciary] sleep knowing they have made such rulings? Can we really talk about the rule of law in a country where someone can get penalized over a social media post?” said academic Gökhan Güneş.
Güleçyüz posted a message of condolence on X following Gülen’s death and avoided using pejorative language against the late cleric or repeating the government narrative or accusations about him.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been targeting followers of the Gülen movement, inspired by the late Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, since the corruption investigations of December 17-25, 2013, which implicated then-prime minister Erdoğan, his family members and his inner circle.
Dismissing the investigations as a Gülenist coup and conspiracy against his government, Erdoğan designated the movement as a terrorist organization and began to target its members. He intensified the crackdown on the movement following a coup attempt in 2016 that he accused Gülen of masterminding. Gülen and the movement strongly deny involvement in the abortive putsch or any terrorist activity.
In his defense Güleçyüz said this was the first time he had faced such an allegation in his 33-year career as a journalist, accusing the judicial authorities of overlooking the presumption of innocence in his prosecution.
“It is our belief and culture to wish mercy upon the deceased,” he said, adding that there is no legal basis for considering such a social media post a crime. He said his message was within the limits of the freedom of expression, requesting his release and ultimate acquittal.
In December the prosecutor requested the continuation of the defendant’s pretrial detention, citing the nature of the alleged crime and the evidence against him. However, the court decided to release Güleçyüz pending trial.
