N. Macedonia court rules in favor of Anadolu Agency

By Furkan Abdula

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - North Macedonia court on Tuesday vindicated Anadolu Agency in a lawsuit filed by a newspaper linked to Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind a deadly 2016 coup attempt in Turkey.

The compensation lawsuit -- filed by Zaman Macedonia newspaper against Anadolu Agency's Representative Office in the country's capital Skopje -- concluded in favor of the Turkish premier news agency.

The court rejected the claim for compensation by the newspaper.

The court also rejected the newspaper's claim that Anadolu Agency’s Skopje Representative Office was slandering and damaging its reputation” in a news piece.

“It can be seen in the content of the text, the defendant clearly expresses its intention to inform the public about an issue that was on the agenda at the time. Here too, it is revealed that the defendant has no intention of damaging the plaintiff's honor and reputation," a court statement said.

The court also ordered the newspaper to pay the costs borne by Anadolu Agency’s Skopje Office throughout the court proceedings.

The news report published by Anadolu Agency on July 28, 2016 revealed FETO's structure in the Western Balkans.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup attempt of July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Turkey also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

* Written by Talha Ozturk from Belgrade.