Yildirim, a columnist for the leftist cultural magazine Tavir, was arrested, charged, and subsequently tried and convicted under Article 168 of the Penal Code for membership in the outlawed organization Dev Sol, but interviews with his colleagues in 1996 indicated that his conviction was based largely on the fact that he worked for Tavir.
At his trial in the State Security Court, the prosecution introduced statements of informants who said that Yildirim was a spokesman for the organization, and that he had taken part in throwing Molotov cocktails and hanging banners around Izmir on orders from the organization. The prosecution alleged that Yildirim had participated in the break-in at the center-right True Path Party’s Izmir offices.
Yildirim was convicted on December 17, 1996, and sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison. He is being held in Buca Prison in Izmir.