Right to a fair trial is at stake in Turkey

Istanbul, which is one of the biggest cities in the world with around 15 million residents, also has a grandiose court house in the Şişli district. The courthouse, or "Justice Palace" in a more direct translation from the Turkish, is an important example of the massive structures built during the Justice and Development Party's (AKP) time in power.   

The courthouse complex is more like a concrete jungle than a remarkable architectural example, but it is certainly very well equipped with modern technology, is spotlessly clean and has a luminous interior. 

Two large sculptures of Themis, the global symbol of justice, welcome those who enter the building in the atrium, trying to give people the feeling of confidence in the Turkish justice system. However, this image is increasingly at odds with the real situation. 

I have been attending the trials of Barbaros Muratoğlu, the Ankara representative of Doğan Holding, who was detained on Dec. 1, 2016 over allegedly "helping a terrorist organization." He was arrested on Dec. 15, 2016 following a series of articles published in a pro-government newspaper. 

Muratoğlu is charged with helping the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ) because he signed a contract with an Ankara-based law firm, some of the employees of which were later identified as sympathizers of the Fethullah Gülen movement. Some of his contacts were also found to be users of ByLock, a communication application used by Gülenists. In addition, Muratoğlu's visit to Gülen in-person, along with a group of journalists in 2012, was also included in the indictment as evidence of his connection with the group. 

New prosecutor stuns the defense  

As the police investigation and judicial process had...