Academic Özyetiş Acquitted in First Hearing

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Sued by Mardin Artuklu University Presidency due to his social media posts, academic Emre Özyetiş was acquitted in the first hearing held on Friday (April 13).

Tried by Turkish Penal Code Article 7/2 titled “propagandizing for a terrorist organization”, Emre Özyetiş appeared before judge at Mardin 4th Heavy Penal Court.

Stating that concrete elements of crime didn’t constitute, the prosecutor demanded acquittal of Özyetiş and that the court approved prosecutor’s demand.

Only four people were allowed to enter the hearing which was followed by Education and Science Laborers’ Union (Eğitim Sen) members and his coworkers.

The investigations launched upon criminal complaint of the presidency on charges of “insulting President” and “insulting Turkish nation, state” haven’t completed yet.

What happened?

Mardin Artuklu University, Faculty of Architecture Research member Emre Özyetiş told Zeynep Yüncüler from Journa on December 26, 2017 that University President Ahmet Ağırakça said to him, “Do you want to be a girl? Don’t you realize that you’re in Mardin? I don’t want a lecturer who comes to my school as a man and behave like a girl”.

The presidency denied the claim and that the academics was assigned to directorate of school of physical education and sports. Later on, the presidency launched a disciplinary investigation against Özyetiş on charge of “promoting terrorist organizations, insulting state authorities and university administration” and filed a criminal complaint to the prosecutor’s office. (BB/BK/TK)