The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation into media coverage of the 2013 Gezi Park protests, according to a report by Habertürk.
As part of the inquiry, the prosecutor's office sent a letter to the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), requesting records of broadcasts that allegedly promoted the protests. The letter claims that certain media outlets contributed to the spread of social unrest by publicizing the demonstrations. RTÜK has been asked to identify and submit broadcast recordings from the time.
However, RTÜK's archive does not go back that many years, according to a council member from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP).
"Only the records of cases that are reported or subject to judicial review are kept," İlhan Taşcı said on social media, adding that RTÜK only keeps records regularly for one year and then gradually deletes the records.
"In addition, according to Article 25 of Law No. 6112, private media service providers are obliged to keep records of each broadcast for one year. Therefore, it is not legally possible to obtain such a wide range of records from broadcasters," noted Taşcı.
Talent manager's arrest
The investigation into media coverage is linked to the ongoing case against talent manager Ayşe Barım, who was arrested on Jan 27 on charges of "attempting to overthrow the government." Barım was initially being investigated for alleged monopolization of the entertainment industry but was later tied to the Gezi Park protests.
Talent manager Ayşe Barım arrested as monopoly probe shifts to government overthrow charges
One of the accusations against Barım involves her talent management company, ID İletişim. Prosecutors allege that actors represented by her company participated in the protests and posted about them using the #OccupyGezi hashtag in 2013.
Actors Halit Ergenç and Rıza Kocaoğlu, who were summoned to testify in the case, reportedly stated that they attended the protests "of their own free will." Despite this, prosecutors initiated a new investigation on Jan 27, claiming that their testimonies contained contradictions and accusing them of false testimony.
The Gezi Park protests began in May 2013 as a reaction to then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's plans to reconstruct the historic Ottoman-era Taksim Artillery Barracks as part of a redevelopment project in İstanbul’s iconic Taksim Square. The demonstrations escalated into nationwide anti-government protests involving millions of participants.
Philanthropist Osman Kavala was convicted in 2022 of organizing and financing the protests. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for "attempting to overthrow the government," a ruling that has faced widespread criticism from human rights groups and international observers. (VK)
