Former Habertürk Editor-in-Chief Ersoy Appears Before Judge for Second Time Today

Mehmet Akif Ersoy, the detained former Editor-in-Chief of Habertürk TV, is appearing in his second hearing today in Istanbul on charges of aggravated sexual assault and forming a criminal organization. The court panel will hear witness testimonies at this session.

The prosecution is seeking up to 286 years and 2 months in prison for Ersoy. The first hearing was held on September 10; at that session, businessman Mustafa Manaz's detention was upheld, while real estate expert Ufuk Tetik was released. The decision to call his ex-wife, news anchor Pınar Erbaş, as a witness was dropped ahead of that session.

At his initial defense on September 10, Ersoy categorically denied the sexual assault allegations. “The women listed as victims in the case file were initially suspects. Their only crime was being my friends,” he said, also contending that the prosecution accelerated the operation before his drug test came back negative — a claim he said his lawyers witnessed.

Given that media figures in comparable positions in previous cases remained in pre-trial detention for years, the court is expected to revisit the detention decision at this session as well. Today’s agenda, however, focuses on witness testimony; a date for a ruling has not yet been set.