Ece Üner released under judicial control

An investigation has been launched against journalist and presenter Ece Üner for "publicly degrading judicial bodies" and "attempting to influence a fair trial" due to a post she made on the social media platform X. Within the scope of the investigation conducted by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, instructions were given to the Istanbul Police Department to take Üner's statement.

Ece Üner, who was summoned to provide a statement by the prosecutor's office, was referred to the courthouse after her procedures at the police station. The prosecutor's office requested that Üner be referred to the court with a request for a travel ban and a signature requirement.

According to the statement made by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the investigation was initiated due to a response Üner gave to a post by journalist İsmail Saymaz on the X platform. In his post on March 15, 2025, Saymaz reacted to a travel ban imposed on him and claimed that "critical journalism is being intimidated."

Ece Üner responded to this post by saying, "The character assassinations by FETÖ-remnant operation children are tiresome now!" The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that the investigation was launched ex officio on the grounds that this post constitutes the crimes of "publicly degrading judicial bodies" under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code and "attempting to influence a fair trial" under Article 288 of the Turkish Penal Code.

JUDICIAL CONTROL REQUEST

The statement process for Ece Üner, who was summoned by the prosecutor's office, has concluded. Üner was referred to the court with a request for a travel ban and a signature requirement.

The statement from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office read as follows:

On 15/03/2025, regarding the post on the social media platform X (Twitter) by the user named/with the handle @ismailsaymaz, which stated: ''Injustice has been added to the character assassinations that have been going on for weeks. While I was setting off for a weekend holiday with my wife, child, and friends, I learned that a travel ban had been imposed on me. My passport was confiscated. If I were going to flee... I wouldn't have traveled abroad and returned five times in the last 1.5 months. I wouldn't have returned on March 12 from Germany, where I went on March 7, knowing there were investigations against me. Whenever I was summoned to give a statement by the prosecutor's office, I went running. Last Thursday, I was at the Bakırköy Courthouse for three different investigations. My only crime is journalism... I have no intention of going anywhere other than Turkey. I see these actions as an intimidation of critical journalism and I reject them.'', a response was given on the same day, 15/03/2025, by the user named/with the handle @eceuner12 (identified as Özge Ece Bayramoğlu) stating: ''The character assassinations by FETÖ-remnant operation children are tiresome now!''. Due to the post made by the user @eceuner12, an investigation has been launched ex officio by our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for the crimes of publicly degrading judicial bodies as regulated in Article 301/1 of the Turkish Penal Code and attempting to influence a fair trial as regulated in Article 288/1 of the Turkish Penal Code, and instructions have been given to the Istanbul Police Department to have the individual brought in.