Making ‘peace news’ against Afrin operation, journalist sentenced to prison

* Photo: Ozan Kaplanoğlu / Twitter

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Ozan Kaplanoğlu, the Managing Chief Editor of BursaMuhalif.com local news website, has been sentenced to 1 year, 10 months, 15 days in prison on the grounds that he reported on the press statement against Turkey's "Operation Olive Branch" or "Afrin Operation" into Syria in 2018.

Charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization", Kaplanoğlu had his final hearing at the Bursa 10th Heavy Penal Court yesterday (June 10). Kaplanoğlu has been convicted of the offense charged. Labor Party (EMEP) Provincial Chair Hasan Özaydın, who read the statement "We side with peace, not war" and stood trial in the same file, has been acquitted.

Making a statement after the hearing, the journalist's lawyer Özgür Özcan said, "The sentence given is purely political. It is not a crime to defend journalism; defending peace is not a crime in any way at all. An appeal can be lodged against the ruling, we will follow up the process."

Sentenced to prison over a news report, Kaplanoğlu stated, "Neither is it a crime to defend peace, nor is it a crime to defend people's right to obtain information. We, as honorable journalists, will keep on telling people the truths and being the voice of the oppressed."

What happened?

On January 30, 2018, occupational organizations and political parties in Bursa province protested the Turkish Armed Forces' cross-border military operation into Syria by releasing a joint statement.

Following this press statement, first, journalist Ozan Kaplanoğlu was detained on February 2, then, Özaydın was detained on February 3 on the grounds that they allegedly propagandized for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Referred to the court on February 5, Kaplanoğlu was released while Özaydın was arrested. Following his defense at the first hearing on April 10, Özaydın was released pending trial. (HA/SD)