Diyarbakır prosecutors have filed charges against journalist Nurcan Yalçın, seeking up to 10 years in prison on charges of financing terrorism, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) reported on Friday.
Yalçın faces charges of violating the “Law on the Prevention of Terrorism Financing” after allegedly transferring money to inmates at a Diyarbakır prison. The indictment claims that Yalçın deposited TL 300 ($8) in 2018 for Kibriye Evren, who is also a journalist, and TL 400 ($11) for another inmate, Songül Aşıla, in 2019.
Yalçın was detained during a police raid on May 6 and was released after two days in custody under the conditions of a travel ban and weekly check-ins with the police.
Evren, who was arrested on charges of membership in a terrorist organization, testified that Yalçın had sent her money to cover basic needs.
In her defense Yalçın acknowledged sending money to Evren but denied knowing Aşıla, emphasizing that she acted solely out of friendship with Evren. According to MLSA, while prison records confirmed Yalçın’s visits to Evren, no such records were found linking her to Aşıla.
Journalists in Turkey commonly face accusations of terrorism, insult, denigration and inciting hatred in connection with their work. Recent legislation enacted by the government has also criminalized spreading “false or misleading information.”
Those reporting on the situation of the Kurdish minority and the Kurdish political movement often face charges of membership in or disseminating propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The group is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the USA.
The prosecutors of Kurdish journalists typically cite their news coverage and social media commentary as evidence in their cases. The indictments rely on Turkey’s anti-terror laws, which are frequently criticized for being overly broad, allowing too much room for interpretation.
Many human rights groups have also reported a lack of judicial independence in the country, which was ranked 117th among 142 countries in the rule of law index published by the World Justice Project (WJP) in October, dropping one rank in comparison to last year.
Turkey, which became the world’s biggest prison for journalists in 2018, during a state of emergency imposed after a coup attempt, was ranked 158th out of 180 countries in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
