ISTANBUL – The Constitutional Court (AYM) has ruled that the arrest of journalist Merdan Yanardag over his remarks about Abdullah Ocalan violated his right to liberty and security. 

 

Journalist and former TELE1 Editor in Chief Merdan Yanardag was detained on June 26, 2023, after making comments about Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Ocalan on TELE1 on June 20, 2023 on charges of “terrorist organization propaganda”. He was later arrested following a court hearing. 

 

‘VIOLATION’ RULING

 

Reviewing the individual application filed by Yanardag’s lawyers, the Constitutional Court found that his statements did not encourage the organization’s use of force or violence, concluding that there was insufficient evidence to justify suspicion of a crime. The Court ruled that his arrest in 2023 violated his right to liberty and security. 

 

In the TELE1 broadcast, Yanardag had said: “The isolation imposed on Abdullah Ocalan has no place in law; it must be lifted. Because Abdullah Ocalan is not someone to be underestimated. He reads a lot, he has almost become a philosopher in prison. He is someone who understands politics accurately, perceives it correctly, and analyses it intelligently.”

 

Meanwhile, an appeal filed by Yanardag’s lawyers regarding the decision is still pending before the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice. 

 

Yanardag remains under arrest as part of the ongoing “espionage” investigation concerning Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu.