AKP Bursa MP and former Minister of Industry and Technology Mustafa Varank filed a lawsuit against BirGün reporter İsmail Arı for his reporting.
It was alleged that Arı committed the "crime of insulting a public official" due to the article titled "Varank's 'cousin' snatched the sea-view land!" The fourth hearing of the case was held today at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance. The Public Prosecutor and Varank's lawyer, Emine Nur Türkoğlu, demanded that İsmail Arı be punished.
"WHAT IS A JOURNALIST SUPPOSED TO REPORT ON?"
BirGün's lawyer, Ali Deniz Ceylan, stated that the elements of the alleged crime were not met and requested Arı's acquittal, saying, "My client took the news from the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP). If a journalist is not going to report on tender news that has appeared on KAP, what are they supposed to report on?"
The court decided to acquit Arı "on the grounds that the charged act is not defined as a crime by law."
WHAT HAD HAPPENED?
In the article for which Varank filed the lawsuit, it was stated that the tender organized by Emlak Konut for a massive sea-view plot of land in Bodrum was won by Minister Mustafa Varank's cousin and the Cevahir company, known for its proximity to the AKP. Following the public outcry caused by the report, which was based on Emlak Konut's statement to the Public Disclosure Platform, it was announced that the tender had been canceled.
News Source: 12punto
