13/10/2025 | Writer: Oğulcan Özgenç
The first hearing in the trial of Yıldız Tar and Halit Elçi, who are being prosecuted as part of the HDK investigation, was held today. Their travel bans were not lifted, and the hearing was postponed to February 23, 2026.
The first hearing of the trial in which KaosGL.org Editor-in-Chief Yıldız Tar is being prosecuted as part of the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) investigation was held today at the Ankara 21st High Criminal Court.
The courtroom was changed twice, and the hearing began at 10.30 a.m.
Before the hearing began, the courtroom was changed twice. The hearing, which was scheduled to start at 9.20 a.m., began at 10.30 a.m. Riot police were kept waiting inside the courtroom.
The hearing was monitored by representatives from the embassies of Sweden, France, Norway, and the United Kingdom; the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey, DİSK Basın-İş, UniKuir, May 17 Association, Human Rights School, Ankara Bar Association’s LGBTI+ Rights Center, Human Rights Association (İHD), GALADER, STGM, Inter Solidarity, DEM Party Ankara Provincial Organization, Aramızda Association, SYKP, Heinrich Böll Stiftung Association, DSİP, GoFor, the Progressive Journalists Association, MLSA, MP Ahmet Şık from TIP, MP Özgül Saki from the DEM Party, Red Umbrella Association, Pink Life, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) and Keskesor LGBTI+ Van.
The panel of judges interrupted Tar’s defense and intervened when Tar said, “I am a gay journalist”
The hearing began with Yıldız Tar’s defense. When Tar said, “I am a gay journalist,” the panel of judges interrupted, saying, “Let’s move on to the subject of the case.”
In their defense, Tar stated:
“I am a journalist. I started my career in 2013, but before that, I completed internships at various institutions for two years, learning the profession. I became a journalist to ‘be the voice of the voiceless’ and to uncover the truth in all its dimensions. While studying Political Science and International Relations at Boğaziçi University, I entered the profession with passion, and I still carry that same passion. Because being a journalist is not just a job; it is a profession that serves the public interest so that we can live in a free, equal, just, democratic, and peaceful society. It comes with a heavy price, and unfortunately, I had to pay that price by being held in Silivri Prison for about four months.
So far, I have produced countless news reports, interviews, and radio and TV programs to tell the stories of those whose voices are unheard in society. Among these groups, LGBTI+ people come first. One reason is the circle of invisibility and oppression they are trapped in; the other is more personal. I am a gay journalist, or more accurately, a nonbinary journalist, a term that has not yet been fully translated into Turkish. I have never felt that I belonged to either gender. I am currently working as the editor-in-chief of Kaos GL, Turkey’s first LGBTI+ magazine and online newspaper.”
“I am concerned because I am being prosecuted over phone records”
Tar continued their defense as follows:
“I am being accused of ‘membership in an organization.’ However, the organizations I belong to consist of various LGBTI+ associations and professional organizations such as the Progressive Journalists Association and the Journalists’ Union. I am not even a member of any legal political party because journalism requires this. Even if you have political views, you must remain objective. For example, during recent general elections, I produced election programs on Artı TV and, in this capacity, met with almost every political party, including the ruling party, because that is my job. I am concerned because I am being prosecuted over some phone records from 12-13 years ago, whose surveillance and authenticity are questionable. This situation not only harms me personally but also threatens press and freedom of expression, which are essential for a democratic society.”
“There is a court ruling stating that the HDK is not a terrorist organization”
Speaking about the indictment, Tar said the following:
“The prosecution tried to establish a causal link solely based on Abdullah Öcalan’s statements by lining up completely unrelated organizations one after another. They made no effort to find additional evidence. The only connection presented is Öcalan’s statements, and I want to remind the court of his message dated July 9. In the video message, Öcalan said, ‘The work of a comprehensive commission, authorized by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and established by law, is important.’ In other words, if it were up to the prosecution, just because Öcalan called for a parliamentary commission, even the Speaker of the Parliament, Numan Kurtulmuş, could one day be prosecuted for membership in a terrorist organization.
The only response to the prosecution’s disinformation attempt, built on fictional connections, is this: The Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) is an organization composed of individuals and groups active in democratic politics, and there is a court ruling stating that it is not a terrorist organization. Among its current and former co-spokespersons and executive board members are members of parliament, politicians, and former vice presidents of the Grand National Assembly. I, however, have no connection to this organization. As a journalist, any connection I have to political organizations is necessarily limited to reporting and gathering information. I attended a few of HDK’s founding meetings because it was an openly established initiative announced on social media, and as far as I know, it still is. I fail to understand how attending these meetings could constitute a crime. More importantly, the indictment accuses me of “membership in an armed organization” based on certain phone records, alleging that I participated in some democratic marches. As I stated in my police testimony, it is almost absurd that, years later, the Fethullahist network’s phone surveillance has led to this case against me. Of course, I did not remember most of these recordings, and I still cannot say that I remember them fully. How could I?”
“A conversation I had with a journalist friend has been portrayed as a crime”
Tar concluded their defense as follows:
“More than ten years have passed. However, upon reviewing the indictment, I see that explaining the events of the May 1, 2013, protest to a journalist colleague of mine has been portrayed as a crime. At that time, technology was not as advanced; we would call in news by phone and dictate it. Similarly, probably after attending demonstrations for reporting purposes, my phone conversations with friends were included in the indictment. It is clear that there was no criminal element in these demonstrations. Attending these demonstrations, or following them for news purposes, is a constitutional right. The indictment also includes a wiretap. A person named Tarık is speaking. However, as I mentioned, I have not used this name publicly or privately for the past 15 years. No one even knows it. It would be impossible for me to be announced as Tarık and give a speech at a public meeting. Even my mother, who is present in the courtroom today, calls me Yıldız. Before being detained, I had purchased a ticket to go to the UK for a few days for work and return. I frequently travel abroad for my work and always come back. I have no plan, nor have I ever had a plan, to leave my country. I remain as passionate as ever about practicing journalism in this country, investigating the truth, and telling the stories of those whose voices go unheard.
I also trust that your court will not undermine our legal system by issuing a sentence based on abstract allegations and a set of phone recordings whose authenticity is also questionable. I request acquittal. If a verdict will not be issued today, I also request that the travel ban and monthly reporting requirement imposed on me be lifted.”
The audio recordings included in the indictment have been destroyed
After Tar, their lawyer Veysel Ok spoke. Ok said, “This indictment is unlawful, and therefore this court is also acting unlawfully. There is a court ruling stating that the HDK is not a ‘terrorist organization.’ The other basis of the indictment is phone recordings. The recordings were destroyed in 2014, yet you are using destroyed recordings. Yıldız was monitored for 24 months. All the judges and prosecutors who conducted the surveillance were later convicted of organizational membership in the Selam Tevhid case.”
“The prosecution cannot submit the evidence it included in the indictment to the case file”
Lawyer Batıkan Erkoç stated, “The police prepared a report confirming that no criminal evidence was found. Yıldız was detained for 103 days. Concrete evidence is required for judicial control. The destroyed phone recordings are not evidence. The prosecution cannot submit the evidence it included in the indictment to the case file.”
“This is not merely a criminal case”
Tar’s lawyer, Hayriye Kara, stated:
“This is not merely a criminal case. Yıldız is a journalist who brings human rights violations to light. At the center of this case are a journalist’s professional activities. What is being judged here today is journalism itself. This case targets rights-based journalism and social groups that face discrimination because of their identity.”
“How can the HDK, established right before the eyes of the state, be considered a terrorist organization?”
After the defense statements of Tar and their lawyers, journalist Halit Elçi began his defense. Elçi said, “How can the HDK, established through open calls right before the eyes of the state, be considered a terrorist organization? The HDK is a legitimate organization that defends the rights of workers and the oppressed.” The panel of judges asked Elçi, “Were you a member of the HDK General Assembly?” Elçi replied, “The list of General Assembly members was made public after the first congress. The indictment is attempting to create a perception. The file contains destroyed audio recordings as alleged evidence; there is no actual evidence.”
The signature requirement has been lifted, and the decision to maintain the travel ban has been upheld
The prosecution requested the continuation of judicial control measures for Tar and Elçi. The lawyers objected. The court lifted the signature requirement but decided to maintain the travel ban. The hearing was postponed to 2.15 p.m. on February 23, 2026.
Tags: human rights, media, life, lgbti
