Mehmet Cengiz, a well-known businessman in Turkey with close ties to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has filed criminal complaints against 26 journalists from a pro-opposition newspaper on various allegations related to reports about him and his business activities, Turkish Minute reported.
Cengiz, the owner of Cengiz Holding, lodged complaints against reporters, writers and editors from the Sözcü daily and its online edition under multiple articles of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK). The complaints stem from 174 news reports about him and his companies.
Cengiz is seeking legal action against the journalists on charges including “disturbing an individual’s peace and tranquility” (TCK 123), “inciting hatred and enmity among the public” (TCK 216), “spreading misleading information” (TCK 217/A) and “inciting non-compliance with the law” (TCK 217) as well as “insult and defamation” (TCK 125). Some of the journalists have been summoned for questioning.
If prosecutors deem the complaints valid and proceed with charges, the journalists could each face prison sentences ranging from one to four-and-a-half years. Collectively, the maximum combined sentences could reach up to 17.5 years.
Of the 174 articles in question, 107 were published in the print edition of Sözcü, while 67 appeared on its website between October 9, 2024 and February 3, 2025. Among the reports cited in the complaint are speeches and statements made by lawmakers in the Turkish Parliament in addition to news reports about controversial construction or mining projects carried out by Cengiz Holding, which is criticized for damaging the environment for commercial gain.
Ercüment İşleyen, the editor of Sözcü’s online edition, managing editor Mahir Ağar and columnists Necati Doğru, Saygı Öztürk, Emin Özgönül, Güney Öztürk and Sultan Uçar are some of the journalists from Sözcü facing the complaints.
Cengiz is among five businessmen who are referred to by Turkey’s opposition parties as the “gang of five” for having won nearly all the large tenders during the time in office of President Erdoğan.
He is one of the world’s top 10 private sponsors of public infrastructure projects for the years 1990 to 2020, according to World Bank data, winning tenders worth $42.1 billion between 2002 and 2020.
Cengiz’s holding first came to public attention in Turkey in late 2013, when Turkey was shaken by the news of two corruption investigations in which senior ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government politicians were involved.
Cengiz, who has been awarded numerous public contracts — including the construction of İstanbul’s third airport — during the nearly 23 years of AKP rule, was heard in wiretapped phone conversations cursing the Turkish people.
Turkey, which has a poor press freedom record and is one of the world’s biggest jailers of professional journalists, was ranked 158th among 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
