Threats against the press from the lawyer of diplomats who claimed they were defrauded

This week has been an interesting one in terms of journalism and facing the realities of Turkey.

Everything started with the publication of a report by reporter Şeyma Vural on the state channel TRT Haber.

While the country's agenda has been occupied for some time with money laundering cases, crypto scams, suspects who have fled or are alleged to have fled abroad, the Dilan-Engin Polat couple, banker Seçil Erzan, and multi-million dollar scams, TRT Haber was also drawing attention to a 'criminal complaint and trial.'

Moreover, this time the victims were not ordinary people, but diplomats.

That was what made the news remarkable from the very first moment. The fact that the victims were diplomats.

The report, which the state channel TRT Haber shared as a 'video news' piece on its screen, its website, and its Twitter account followed by 4.4 million people, did not escape our attention either. Because it was a clear and understandable report.

To summarize briefly, the content of the report drew attention to the fraud and fund promises that have become the focus of our lives in recent days, and then explained that three Azerbaijani diplomats had filed a criminal complaint 'alleging they were defrauded of 350 thousand dollars' and that a lawsuit had been filed against the suspects for fraud.

While the names of the three Azerbaijani diplomats were not mentioned in the report, the names of Gökalp İçer and Murat Şirinov, against whom the criminal complaint was filed, were shared with the audience by reporter Şeyma Vural.

Gökalp İçer is a familiar name to former employees of Cumhuriyet Newspaper. Although we have not met, been acquainted, or spoken with him, his name was mentioned in allegations regarding the unauthorized sale of the Cumhuriyet Newspaper archive as NFTs, and it was known to all of us.

A criminal complaint was filed by Cumhuriyet Foundation Board Member lawyer Turan Karakaş against Gökalp İçer, some of the newspaper's executives, and two other suspects; the subject was discussed for days, and developments occurred that lawyers watched with astonishment.

Lawyer Turan Karakaş had stated at every opportunity that he had applied to the judiciary to protect the newspaper's archive and the foundation, and to prevent the foundation's executives from facing potential liability.

However, Cumhuriyet Foundation Board Member lawyer Turan Karakaş was dismissed from his position as a lawyer for filing the complaint, while the newspaper executives and ICRYPEX executives against whom the complaint was filed signed a 'release protocol.'

I would like to emphasize that I am sharing the above information to be open and transparent.

Let's return to the report on TRT Haber and the subsequent developments...

The news about the diplomats filing a criminal complaint alleging fraud was picked up by important news sites in Turkey, as well as 12punto.com.tr.

Then, an email arrived from Özge Özkan, who identified herself as Gökalp İçer's lawyer. She said, "We will serve a formal notice regarding the news; additionally, you are requested to contact me via the contact number provided below regarding the subject."

While there was a report published on the state channel TRT, a criminal complaint by Azerbaijani diplomats, their names, and detailed information about the subject matter standing there like a giant, Ms. Özge was demanding that the news be removed immediately.

Without a court order, we were supposed to "snap" and remove a piece of news that had been taken to the judiciary and whose subjects were known.

Since I trust my experience in this matter, I did not fulfill lawyer Özge Özkan's request and instead contacted our own lawyers.

I explained the situation. Our representative responsible for legal affairs also contacted Özge Özkan. Then I spoke with her personally.

I was very polite to her, as one should be. She was also polite to me.

I conveyed that we were trying to practice objective journalism, that we shared the news with our readers based on the facts at hand, that it was unacceptable for them to demand we remove the news without a court order, that we would evaluate it if a court order were forwarded to us, and that we would also publish it if they had a statement.

In the meantime, I saw that the news had been removed from other sites in a strange and rapid manner.

I had difficulty understanding what ensured this and how serious news sites were convinced of this. I think the unsettling and somewhat threatening language used by the suspects' lawyers was effective.

The real surprise was the removal of the news from its original source, TRT Haber. Although I had some guesses and predictions, I wondered which authority could have the news removed from the state channel.

I called TRT and asked. The official at the News Center listened to me. They stated that they were evaluating the matter. When I insisted on getting an answer, they brushed me off.

The news had been deleted first from www.trthaber.com and then from their social media accounts.

It seems the managers of other sites also did not want to deal with the crypto company's lawyers by keeping the news that even TRT Haber had removed...

As developments continued, I reached the file in question. I found the names of the Azerbaijani diplomats and even their lawyers. The Azerbaijani diplomats were Farrukh Jumayev, Hasanali Hasanov, and Jeyhun Shahverdiyev, who were serving in the Secretariat of the Organization of Turkic States.

I accessed many details in their statements. They had explained the process carefully and in all its details. The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office had launched an investigation based on the seriousness of the diplomats' allegations.

Upon the complaint, ICRYPEX CEO Gökalp İçer is in the position of a defendant facing 7.5 years for fraud charges in the Istanbul 10th High Criminal Court file numbered 2023/376. Gökalp İçer and Murat Şirinov will appear before the judge on December 18, 2023. In other words, the news was word-for-word accurate.

Why am I writing all this?

First, emails sent by lawyers without a court order, filled with unsettling expressions, should not be taken seriously.

Second, while the criminal complaint, the trial process, the file number, dates, names, etc., stand there as a huge reality, there is an attempt to obscure the reality of the judicial control, which also includes a travel ban for Gökalp İçer.

While attempts were being made to remove the news containing the names of the three Azerbaijani diplomats from publication, and while the facts were there for all to see, an 'ultra' interesting development occurred. The three Azerbaijani diplomats withdrew their complaints.

Yes, Azerbaijani diplomats Farrukh Jumayev, Hasanali Hasanov, and Jeyhun Shahverdiyev, who had gone to the prosecutor's office with fraud accusations and filed a criminal complaint against ICRYPEX CEO Gökalp İçer and Murat Şirinov, who was determined to be working at the same firm with social security, withdrew their complaints after their grievances were reported on 12punto and some other media outlets.

This means... upon the withdrawal of the fraud complaints by the Azerbaijani complainants, the judicial control and travel ban imposed on the suspects in the hearing will be lifted, and the file will be sent to the conciliation bureau.

Even more interesting is that the Azerbaijani diplomats dismissed the lawyers who were handling the legal process...

And immediately after, an email sent to journalists...

Diplomat Hasanali Hasanov suddenly experienced a great enlightenment. He penned a letter stating what a respectable person Gökalp İçer, whom he had previously claimed had defrauded him, actually is. He expressed with regret that Gökalp İçer had been victimized because of them. He apologized for what had happened. He requested that if any news is made from now on, it should be made according to this statement he made.

This situation reminded me of the ICRYPEX criminal complaint process regarding Cumhuriyet Newspaper in the past.

How strange it is that in that incident as well, Gökalp İçer, against whom a criminal complaint was filed by the Cumhuriyet Foundation's lawyer, was attempted to be removed from the legal process with the signature of the foundation president himself.

The suspects whose names were in the criminal complaint regarding the attempt to sell the archive as NFTs signed a release protocol, said "There is no debt or credit," and tried to close the matter; the foundation's veteran manager and lawyer were dismissed. They didn't even stop there; lawyer Turan Karakaş was reported.

The same development happened yesterday. The complainants withdrew their complaints. They also dismissed the lawyers who were handling the legal process.

For some reason, complaints involving Gökalp İçer's name are being withdrawn, protocols are being signed, and lawyers are being dismissed and reported.

The enlightenment of the diplomat named Hasanali Hasanov and his withdrawal of the complaint happened in a very short time after the news found its place in the media.

I realize this has been a long article, but the only thing that drives a journalist crazy is the denial of facts that everyone knows to be true.

Just like the following expressions in the email sent to us by Halil Cenk Akdoğan, the new lawyer whom the Azerbaijani diplomats agreed with after dismissing their previous lawyers:

"I hereby notify you that the news contents on your website that do not reflect the truth must be removed immediately, that if they are not removed, we will file a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office against those responsible, that we reserve all our rights to compensation due to the news contents that do not reflect the truth, and that we do not have the possibility to share with you the power of attorney containing our clients' personal information"..

The language lawyer Halil Cenk Akdoğan uses here is a clear language of threat and is an outright lie. He says, "We will file a criminal complaint with the prosecutor's office, and we will also get compensation, ha!"

It is astonishing that a victim who said they were defrauded and applied to the law for justice suddenly withdraws their complaint against the person they complained about, publishes an apology letter, and threatens journalists with their newly chosen lawyer...

Journalism in Turkey is always under pressure... The government threatens, the mafia threatens, journalists are subjected to insults and physical attacks, reactionary organizations threaten, they are taken from their homes in dawn raids, they are tried just for writing the truth, and they are thrown into prisons.

But it is annoying for a lawyer to attempt to threaten by hiding behind legal jargon... Especially when ICRYPEX presents itself as a supporter of the free press and organizes events attended by famous journalists, it is even more annoying.

Of course, these do not intimidate journalists.

My suggestion to lawyer Halil Cenk Akdoğan is to do what he says immediately. I am intensely curious about on what grounds he will file a criminal complaint.

I have simple questions for this lawyer who wants to put pressure on journalism... Did these three diplomats not file a criminal complaint stating they were defrauded? Are their names not real? Did the prosecutor's office not launch an investigation? Were judicial control conditions not imposed on those complained about? Is there no trial in the 10th High Criminal Court?

The fact that diplomat Hasanali Hasanov and other diplomats are mentioned in such a report due to the seriousness of their duties must have certainly spoiled their mood... There is money like 350 thousand dollars involved. I am sure someone has asked, "Gentlemen, what is this?"

Turkey is a country of oddities...

I also have a suggestion for Hasanali Hasanov, who apologized to Gökalp İçer, against whom he had filed a criminal complaint, with a written statement...

They should make a public statement arm-in-arm upon leaving the courthouse. They should explain how first TRT and then other news sites set them up.

Dear diplomat!

Let's ignore all of this. Let's assume you did not file a criminal complaint and did not fight to recover your 350 thousand dollars. Let's assume those you complained about are innocent too....

Is that it now... Is the situation exactly like this?