Turkey Trial of Bloomberg Reporters, Others Starts in Istanbul

(Bloomberg) -- A Turkish court held its first hearing on Friday of a case against two Bloomberg reporters accused of trying to undermine the country’s economic stability. The action stems from a 2018 story about how authorities and banks were responding to the biggest currency shock in the country since 2001.

An indictment from a prosecutor was accepted earlier this year requesting a jail term of between two and five years for Kerim Karakaya and Fercan Yalinkilic, the reporters, and 36 other people upon a request from the nation’s banking regulator.

The other defendants listed in the indictment were charged for social media comments deemed critical of Turkey’s economy and banks.

Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait said “we continue to fully support our two journalists, at today’s hearing and in any future proceedings.”

“They’ve been indicted for accurately and objectively reporting on highly newsworthy events,” he said. “We are committed to them and to press freedom and hope that the judiciary will do right by acquitting them.”

The next hearing is scheduled to be held on Jan. 17.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Onur Ant at oant@bloomberg.net, Colin Keatinge, Jon Herskovitz

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With assistance from Bloomberg