Suat Toktaş is free after 34 days: "We only did journalism, thankfully there are judiciary members who keep the hope of justice alive"
Halk TV's Editor-in-Chief, Suat Toktaş, who was arrested for a TV report concerning an expert mentioned in İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu’s press conference and had been held in Marmara Prison in Silivri for 34 days, was released around 9:00 PM following the İstanbul 54th Criminal Court of First Instance’s decision for acquittal and release. Upon leaving the prison, Toktaş stated, "Looking at the content of the case, there was nothing else the judge could do. This was exactly the decision that could be made, and this was exactly the decision that was made. Because we truly only did journalism. That’s why, yes, there are still judiciary members in Turkey who keep the hope of justice alive, and thankfully, they exist."
Halk TV's Editor-in-Chief, Suat Toktaş Suat Toktaş was released in the evening hours.
Following the court's release decision, Toktaş was greeted by his relatives and colleagues at a facility approximately 5 kilometers from the prison. His daughters, Eylül and Deniz, among others waiting at the facility, ran to embrace Toktaş, with some unable to hold back their tears. After a while, Suat Toktaş made a statement to the journalists, thanking the lawyers, politicians, and journalists who defended justice.
"THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO DID NOT LEAVE US ALONE"
Starting his statement by saying, "I woke up at 6:30 in the morning; I have had two herniated disc surgeries, so I am very tired," Suat Toktaş continued: "When we chose the slogan 'You are not alone' for the channel, we did so deliberately. It was meant to define the work we would do. When I was sent inside, my message to our viewers was: 'We stood by you by saying you are not alone, so do not leave Halk TV alone.' First and foremost, I sincerely thank our viewers for not leaving us alone. Honestly, when you look at it from the inside, it is surprising because I have never been someone in the spotlight—I have always preferred not to be. Yet, while trying to avoid crowds, I found myself thrown in front of them. But it is not a big deal; these things happen in times like these."
"VISITS GAVE ME A CHANCE TO LEAVE MY CELL"
"My second thank you goes to the lawyers and politicians from all over Turkey. Politicians and lawyers from almost every political party never left me alone. There were many visitors when I was allowed out for meetings. That, in itself, is also an opportunity for those inside to step out of their cells, and it is something that lifts the spirits. So, their visits were invaluable to me, and I thank them all. People from nearly every party came.
Another thank you goes to my friends and journalist colleagues who came from Ankara and Izmir. They traveled to attend the trial. I appreciate them as well. And, most importantly, journalists from different viewpoints—this is very significant—whether they write, speak, or present on various channels and newspapers, they essentially vouched for my journalism. That was incredibly valuable to me. I cannot list all their names, as I fear forgetting some.
I especially thank my lawyers, Serhat Çetin and Sebla Öztürk, who did an excellent job. In fact, in a way, the prosecutor made things very easy. Another special thanks goes to Halk TV’s Chairman of the Board, Cafer Mahiroğlu, who stood firmly behind us like a solid wall."
"TODAY’S DECISION HAS KEPT OUR HOPE FOR JUSTICE ALIVE"
"We see that there are still judges in Turkey who keep the hope for justice alive. The survival of this hope is very valuable. Judicial officials may sometimes make decisions based on circumstances and the times we live in—that can happen. But today’s decision has kept our hope for justice alive. In any case, looking at the contents of this case—I said I would not delve into it, and I will keep my word—but examining the case itself, there was nothing else the judge could do. This was the exact decision that could be made, and this was the exact decision that was made. Because, in the end, we were simply doing journalism. That is why, yes, there are still judges in Turkey who keep the hope for justice alive, and thankfully, they exist."
ACQUITTAL, RELEASE, AND SEPARATION OF THE CASE FILE
During the first hearing at the İstanbul 54th Criminal Court of First Instance, which began in the morning and concluded in the afternoon, the court ruled for the acquittal of Halk TV’s Editor-in-Chief Suat Toktaş, Responsible Manager Serhan Asker, Program Coordinator Kürşad Oğuz, Presenter Barış Pehlivan, and Host Seda Selek of the charge of "influencing those performing judicial duties." The court also ordered Toktaş's release. However, regarding the charge of "listening in on and recording conversations between individuals," the court decided to separate the case and send it to the conciliation bureau, as the required reconciliation procedure had not been completed. While ordering Toktaş's release, the court ruled that all defendants would remain under an international travel ban. However, it lifted the judicial control measure that required the non-detained defendants to sign in once a week.
PROSECUTOR'S OBJECTION
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office objected to the release decision. However, the court did not change its ruling and forwarded the case to the İstanbul 17th High Criminal Court for a final decision.
