Decision of Release for Journalist Deniz Yücel

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Journalist Deniz Yücel’s lawyer Veysel Ok has announced that decision of release has been issued for Yücel. “And decision of release has been issued for my client Deniz Yücel”.

State-run Anadolu Agency reported that İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment for Yücel. Yüces faces up to 18 years in prison. 

Die Welt announced the decision of release on social media.

WELT-Korrespondent Deniz Yücel kommt frei https://t.co/7jZxBBAQgz #FreeDeniz pic.twitter.com/pPCMEUwpnO

— WELT (@welt) 16 Şubat 2018

Arrest of Yücel was addressed in the meeting between Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım and Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel. Speaking to press members, Merkel said release of Deniz Yücel, who has been imprisoned in Turkey for a year without an indictment, is one of the most important subjects for Germany.

Yıldırım said, "Turkey's judiciary system is handling these issues within the confines of the law. I hope that he will soon receive a trial and a verdict. Each hearing is a hope". 

What happened?

Kept in detention in İstanbul Security Directorate for 13 days, Die Welt newspaper reporter to Turkey Deniz Yücel was brought to İstanbul Justice Palace in Çağlayan on February 27 by İstanbul Organized Crimes Department units.

According to the report by BirGün daily, Yücel was questioned about his interview with Cemil Bayık, one of the founders of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and council member of Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) in 2015, reports about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Yüksekova and Cizre.

As the part of the same operation, Diken news site editor Tunca Öğreten, Dicle News Diyarbakır Bureau Chief editor Ömer Çelik and BirGün daily newspaper Executive Official Mahir Kanaat were arrested on January 18, 2017. Ömer Çelik was released on October 24, Kanaat and Öğreten were released on December 6, 2017.

Along with Öğreten, Çelik and Kanat, DİHA reporter Metin Yoksu, Yolculuk Newspaper Chief Editor Eray Sargın and ETHA Executive Official Derya Okatan who were detained on December 25, 2016, were released.

Covering house raids that were conducted on December 25, pro-government Sabah daily newspaper reported that Deniz Yücel’s name was included as part of the investigation.

President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said:

“This man [Deniz Yılmaz] is a terrorist, not journalists and unfortunately the German government lumps my ministers together with this terrorist. The problem lies here.

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel told me ‘We would be glad if you free him’. I told her he is not a journalist but terrorist. Deniz Yücel hid in the German Consulate General. This man is a terrorist not journalist”. 

Of the other arrestees Çelik was released in the first and Tunca was released in the second hearing. (AS/TK)