In March 2011, two prominent investigative journalists were arrested in Turkey because of their alleged ties to a terrorist organisation. Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener faced 15 years’ imprisonment if they were convicted, write Funda Ustek and Irem Kok.
The case
In March 2011, two prominent investigative journalists Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener were arrested because of their alleged connection to the Ergenekon terrorist organisation – the subject of largest judicial investigation on so-called “deep state” relations in Turkey’s history. On the morning of 3 March, police searched their residences and collected all their personal archives, computers and CDs. The state prosecutors charged the two journalists with membership of an armed organisation (Article 314/2), aiding and abetting an illegal organisation (Article 220/7), propaganda for an illegal group (Article 7/2), violating the legal confidentiality of an investigation (Article 285) and trying to influence the result of a trial (Article 288) all under the Turkish penal code.
Electronic copies of Şık’s unpublished book Imamin Ordusu (The Imam’s Army), based on the investigation of the Gülen Movement – Turkey’s most influential Islamic brotherhood network led by Pennsylvania-based imam Fethullah Gülen – were seized by police as an “illegal organisational document”. The book discussed links between the Gülen Movement and the Turkish police force, which was interpreted by the prosecutors as a piece of “propaganda” that proved Şık’s connection to the Ergenekon. As a result, all copies of Şık’s book were confiscated by police, before it was even published. On 11 April 2011, electronic copies of draft book were leaked online through an anonymous website and widely circulated via social networks such as Twitter and personal email addresses containing the link.
Şener, a winner of the Institute for Free Press award that comes with the title of World Press Freedom Hero, is known for his two books on the murder of Armenian journalist Hrant Dink and for criticising the Turkish government’s lack of transparency during the investigation. Similarly, Şener’s journalistic writings were taken as a proof of a connection to the Ergenekon organisation. Şık and Şener are still under detention and face 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted for allegedly being members of Ergenekon’s media network. On 17 November 2011, Şık’s book was published by Posta Yayinlari/Posta Publishing House along with the signatures of 125 writers showing their support.
After 375 days in prison, Şık and Şener were released on bail on 12 March 2012. Sik now faces additional charges of “threat” and “defaming civil servants for their duties” for comments he made immediately after his release. His new trial is set for 13 September 2012.
