Journalist İsmail Saymaz broke his 38-day silence since he was put under house arrest last month as part of an investigation into the 2013 Gezi Park protests, posting on X that he faces 15 to 20 years’ imprisonment, Turkish Minute reported.
Saymaz, a columnist for Halk TV, was detained on March 19 as part of an investigation launched by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. He was released two days later under house arrest and prohibited from leaving the country. His two passports were canceled.
In his first post since March 18, Saymaz said he is accused of aiding an attempt to overthrow the Turkish government during the Gezi Park protests. He said prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of between 15 and 20 years.
Saymaz also said he is a suspect in another investigation related to the Republican People’s Party (CHP) congress in Ankara.
The Gezi Park protests began in the summer of 2013 against an urban development project in central İstanbul. The demonstrations quickly spread nationwide and posed one of the biggest challenges to then-prime minister and current president Erdoğan’s rule. The government labeled the protests as a coup attempt and responded with force.
Ankara prosecutors launched an investigation into the CHP’s 38th Ordinary Congress in 2023 after allegations of vote-buying surfaced. The probe gained national attention when former party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, who lost the vote against current chairman Özgür Özel, and other senior figures were summoned as witnesses. Critics say the investigation reflects a broader pattern of judicial actions against opposition parties favoring President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his allies.
According to Saymaz, an individual’s accusations were accepted without his testimony being heard, and his financial records were examined. He said information unrelated to the congress is being used to target him.
In addition, Saymaz said he faces a trial at the Bakırköy Courthouse over a chyron that appeared during a broadcast on Halk TV, in which he is charged with spreading misleading information. He said he was unable to attend the first hearing due to his house arrest and noted that several other investigations into him are ongoing at the same courthouse.
Saymaz thanked his supporters for their messages of solidarity.
Saymaz’s detention came amid a wider crackdown by Turkish authorities. On the same day, İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu from the CHP and more than 80 others, including district mayors, city officials, businesspeople and journalists, were detained in separate investigations. They face charges of corruption and terrorism, which the opposition says are politically motivated.
A decade later, prosecutors have launched new investigations targeting individuals and media outlets allegedly linked to the protests. Critics say the moves aim to silence dissent.
Prosecutors cite Saymaz’s alleged communications with jailed businessman Osman Kavala, who was sentenced to life in prison in 2022 over the protests. They also point to Saymaz’s contact with other Gezi defendants, including Can Atalay, Çiğdem Mater and Mücella Yapıcı.
Saymaz, through his lawyer, said his communications with Kavala were for journalistic purposes. He said he knew Atalay as a lawyer involved in social cases, was acquainted with Mater socially and contacted Yapıcı as a news source.
Turkey, which has been suffering from a poor record of freedom of the press for years, ranks 158th among 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index published in May 2024.
